Survival of the Fittest
by Clopin K. Trouillefou
Summary: Taigokumaru thinks he's killed his own son, but miraculously Tsukuyomaru survived the attack and flees for his life, hiding from his clan. Years pass and he makes the acquaintance of an unusual group...
1. Alive

His eyes slowly fluttered open, the purple orbs weak and pained, his fingers twitched, his gaze fixed on his hand in shock. He was alive, impossible as it was, he was alive despite his father's attempt to murder him. He lay, bloodied and battered, outside the cave where his clan dwelled, though most of his clan was not there. However, he could hear his father's voice inside the cave, boasting of what he'd done. He had to escape before his father realized he wasn't dead, but when he tried to move, pain shot through him. He had to get away, he had to get to shore to his human mate and their infant daughter. He took a deep breath and forced his arms to support his weight, closing his eyes and fighting against the pain, as he struggled into a sitting position. Panting, he fell back against the rocky wall outside the cave, willing the pain to subside.

He was a bat-demon, the son of Taigokumaru, Tsukuyomaru, the hereditary shield-guardian of their clan. For generations, his clan had lived on an island off the coast, feeding on the villages along the shore, taking human and animal blood. He alone refused to prey upon humans, especially after he'd fallen in love with a human woman. With her, he'd had a daughter and took a vow to protect them, swearing that if his clan continued to feed on their village he would abandon his place as shield-guardian. He'd argued with his father and Taigokumaru had attacked him with the intent to send him to the underworld. But he hadn't succeeded, Tsukuyomaru was not dead, but he wouldn't be much longer if Taigokumaru found him alive. Gradually, Tsukuyomaru's breathing slowed, and he took time to survey the damage his father had done. His armor was broken, his clothing torn and bloody, there were slash marks covering most parts of his body, and his wings were torn. It didn't feel like there were any broken bones, though a few of his ribs felt bruised, and his wounds were still bleeding.

He couldn't stay, Tsukuyomaru knew that, his wounds needed healing yes, but if he remained where he was, his father would find him. His body felt fatigued, he needed sleep, but he couldn't rest, not yet, he had to leave, the longer he lingered the more chance there was that he'd be found. He had to get to shore, but how? With his wings as badly torn as they were, he couldn't fly, and there was no way to get from the island to the shore by foot. There was only one choice: he had to swim, but would his body hold out? It would have to, he would force his body to keep going, he wouldn't let himself quit, he would force himself to ignore the pain. So, with that resolution in his head, he pushed himself to his feet despite the pain, forcing himself to remain steady when his weakened body stumbled. Silently, he made his way to the edge of the rocks, and, taking a deep breath, dove into the water. He resurfaced, looking about as his ears caught the sound of flapping: his clan was returning. He looked to horizon, the night sky lightening; quickly he swam to hide in the shadows of the rocks, thankfully he went unnoticed.

Needless to say, Tsukuyomaru's battered and weakened body wasn't at all happy with him, but somehow he found the strength to make it back to shore. The sun was visible in the sky now, the deep purple of pre-dawn now a brilliant array of pinks and reds. Shivering in the dawning light, he stumbled on the shore, catching himself and he wandered to the hut his human mate lived in. From within, he heard the sounds of sobbing, his name choked out between sobs; from what he could tell, his mate thought him dead. His heart fell as he slumped to the sandy ground outside the hut; she thought him dead, he couldn't reveal himself to her. Then it dawned on him; if he had shown himself to her, his father would've found out eventually and possibly killed them both. He had to flee, had to keep going and get as far from his clan as possible, he had to stay alive. Someday, his daughter would grow up, a half-breed, and her mother would age and die while their daughter's aging slowed. She would need someone, that was when he would return, he would be there for her, to care for her and protect her.

Night fell and the bat-demons awoke from their diurnal slumber, most loitering around inside the cave or along the rocks outside of it until Taigokumaru gave the word. A particularly ugly one named Gumo wandered along the rocky ledge to where Taigokumaru had left his son's body. He could smell the scent of Tsukuyomaru's blood, but the bat-demon's body was nowhere in sight.

"TAIGOKUMARU!" Gumo yelled, opening his wings and flapping back to the cave.

"What is it, Gumo?" Taigokumaru asked impatiently.

"Tsukuyomaru!" he exclaimed, "He's gone!"

"Impossible!" the shield-guardian replied, "Tsukuyomaru is dead!"

"But his body is not there!" Gumo answered.

With a furious growl, Taigokumaru emerged from the cave, going to where he knew he'd left Tsukuyomaru's body. Only, it wasn't there, there was no sign of it despite the bloodstains. Taigokumaru looked around, searching for some sign, some explanation for the disappearance of his son's corpse. What he found was a trail of blood, leading to the edge of the rocks on the island, leaving only one conclusion. Tsukuyomaru _was _alive, alive enough to have escaped to the water, possibly to have reached the shore.

"Find him!" Taigokumaru called to his clan, "Do not let him escape!"

Meanwhile, Tsukuyomaru had managed to flee into the forest beyond the village, how he did not know. It was not as far from his clan as he would've liked, but at least here, there was cover, places to hide. He could hide among the trees until his body had healed and there was plenty of wildlife so he would have no lack of prey. There was a river nearby, so he could get water, bathe, and wash the blood from his clothes. In the mean time, he needed a place to rest and allow his body to sleep and begin healing. So he removed his blood-stained white gloves and used his claws to climb a tree , settling himself on a sturdy branch to sleep.


	2. Goodbye

Days passed without any sign of Tsukuyomaru, dead or alive and Taigokumaru was livid. He knew better than to think Tsukuyomaru dead; the wretched pup was too damn resourceful and clever. He'd managed to escape with his life, thought barely, but knowing Tsukuyomaru, he'd find a way to stay alive. Aside from that, if Tsukuyomaru were dead, they'd have found his body by now. One of the bat demons suggested that he had drowned trying to swim to shore, but it only angered Taigokumaru. The first night they'd set out to hunt down Tsukuyomaru they'd found his footprints and his scent leading to the hut his human wench lived in on the shore. From there, the prints led through the village, into the forest beyond, from there the trail had been lost. Taigokumaru had his clan scour the forest, but there was neither hide nor hair of his son; unfortunately, forests were difficult to search with all the undergrowth and trees providing cover.

Tsukuyomaru was well aware of his father's search for him and did a damn good job staying hidden from them. Taigokumaru was far too big to search the forest himself, he'd never be able to maneuver through the trees and growth. Mercifully, the other bat-demons weren't quite as intelligent or clever as he, so hiding from them wasn't too much of a challenge. Life could be better, but Tsukuyomaru had prey and water from a river where he could also bathe and had washed away most of the blood that had stained his clothing. His wounds had not yet fully healed, having been deep, and he'd probably be scarred for life, and not just physically. He'd always known his father was cruel, it was why his mother, Amaterasu, had left when he was in his early adolescence. She'd fled for her life and would've taken Tsukuyomaru with her, but he was the hereditary guardian.

But to be betrayed by one's own father caused pain beyond words and it was the worst kind.

Tsukuyomaru sat in a cave near the river, trying to sleep; his body was so adapted to sleeping during part of the night, diurnal slumber was difficult. But his survival depended on sleeping during the day, it was the only time he was truly safe from his clan. He flexed his wings, wrapping them around himself; they had healed enough by now to allow him to glide. Gliding was not as good as true flight, but it at least made it easier to get from tree to tree. He sank into his thoughts, trying not to think of his human mate and baby daughter, but the more he tried to push them from his mind the more they came unbidden. But as the day wore on, they were replaced by thoughts of his father, a low growl issuing from Tsukuyomaru's throat. Tsukuyomaru was not easily angered, but his father was a master at arousing his temper, and Taigokumaru had certainly succeeded in once again rousing his son's temper. Tsukuyomaru's violent eyes flared red as he swore vengeance against his father for such a vile act of betrayal. Unlike most of his kind, he valued all life and never killed except to feed on the flesh and blood of his prey. He made a vow to himself and his mother never to take human life or demon life if he could help it.

But for Taigokumaru, Tsukuyomaru was willing to break that vow; the old bat had gone too far, he had to pay. Tsukuyomaru took a deep breath, letting it out slowly to calm himself; he had to wait until he'd regained his strength, he wasn't strong enough yet. He turned his gaze to skies outside, twilight descending on the land as the first stars winked at him from their place in the heavens. He had to hunt before his clan once again set out to find him. So long as his mind was focused solely on the hunt, he was vulnerable and unfortunately a successful hunt required his full attention. In full health he didn't hunt every night as he did now, but his weakened body needed nourishment daily so he could fully recover. Thus he emerged from the cave, his senses immediately on the alert as he began his hunt. It didn't take long to pinpoint a rabbit and he had just pounced on it when he heard a sound in the night sky.

Looking up, Tsukuyomaru saw the silhouettes of bat demons; damn, he'd wasted precious time dwelling on his thoughts of revenge. Abandoning his prey, Tsukuyomaru fled through the forest, desperate to find cover before he was discovered. A bat demon landed in front of Tsukuyomaru, his back facing him, but even so Tsukuyomaru knew exactly who it was. Quickly, Tsukuyomaru scrambled up into a tree, standing on a sturdy branch, just as the other demon turned in his direction. Tsukuyomaru glimpsed his face as the other looked around in search of the former shield guardian, his worst fears confirmed. The other bat demon was one that hated Tsukuyomaru with a passion, hated him with every fiber of his being: Gumo. Tsukuyomaru held his breath as he watched Gumo search for him then spread his wings and take off. The ex-guardian let his breath out slowly in a sigh of relief, then turned to leave himself, but found himself face to face with Gumo.

"Tsukuyomaru," Gumo said slowly, smirking, "We've been looking for you."

"Gumo…" Tsukuyomaru muttered, his eyes widening and backing away.

"Your father's been worried sick about you," the other bat remarked mockingly.

"My father wants me dead and you know it!" the ex-guardian exclaimed.

"That's what happens to traitors, Tsukuyomaru."

Suddenly, Gumo reached out, his hand clenched around Tsukuyomaru's neck, making it difficult to breathe.

"Now, we have you and this time there will be no escape."

"Gumo… please…"

Gumo merely laughed, "Proud Tsukuyomaru begging? Oh, this is sweet."

"Gumo…!"

"Taigokumaru will be quite pleased. All I have to do is call for him…"

Tsukuyomaru swung his legs up, kicking Gumo hard in the stomach, and Gumo dropped him, doubled over gasping for breath. Tsukuyomaru put a hand to his own throat, taking in deep breaths as Gumo turned a glare on him, growling. Without hesitation, Tsukuyomaru opened his wings and took to the air, flying rather than gliding.

"TAIGOKUMARU!" Gumo shouted as Tsukuyomaru flew off.

Tsukuyomaru didn't stop until he'd reached the cave, his preferred hiding place; while it was roomy, it wasn't large enough for a demon the size of his father. He landed in the cave's mouth and darted to the back of the cave, ducking in the shadows. He had no idea how long he sat in the shadows, catching his breath, his wings sore, but when he opened his eyes next, the sky was a pale blue. In his physical exhaustion due to his flight and lack of sleep the previous day, he must have dozed off as he sat hiding.

Another day or so passed without seeing any sign of the bat-demons or Taigokumaru. Of course, that may be because Tsukuyomaru decided it was a wiser idea to remain active during the day and sleep in hiding during the night. Also, that way he wouldn't have to go through the hassle of forcing his body to readjust its biological clock. Tsukuyomaru was rinsing his hair beneath a waterfall, the water only up to his waist, his eyes closed. His eyes snapped open and he stopped what he was doing, looking around; he'd thought he'd heard something out of place. Specifically, he thought he'd heard what sounded like wings, huge batwings like his father's. Then he heard it again and spun around, his senses alert, but he saw nothing and he was about to continue bathing when he heard the unmistakable sound of his father's laugh.

"Where are you, Tsukuyomaru?" Taigokumaru taunted from the air unseen, "I know you're here."

If the old bat was asking such a thing, then he hadn't seen Tsukuyomaru yet, which meant that Tsukuyomaru could still escape.

Taking a deep breath, Tsukuyomaru plunged into the water, swimming beneath the surface, praying that Taigokumaru wouldn't be able to see him. Unfortunately, the water was shallow in that part of the river, so Tsukuyomaru couldn't go any deeper. So while he was close enough to the surface to hear anything above the water and to get a quick breath, he could also be seen easier. Meanwhile, Taigokumaru, in the air, had looked down to the river and seen something worthwhile.

"Ah! I see a bare rump!" the old bat taunted.

Oh, shit, the water wasn't even deep enough to cover Tsukuyomaru completely; he'd thought he'd felt a draft. So without further ado, Tsukuyomaru took flight from the water naked though he was, his wings sending up spray as they beat furiously. He flew through the forest, his father pursuing him from above, dodging around trees and ducking under branches. His smaller size gave him the advantage of being able to maneuver faster, but Taigokumaru was watching him closely from above the trees.

Finally, Tsukuyomaru came into sight of his cave, darting into the mouth without a moment's hesitation, landing in the shadowed back of it.

"You cannot run forever, Tsukuyomaru!" Taigokumaru yelled in frustration.

"No, but I can damn well try!" Tsukuyomaru returned.

"Sooner or later, I will kill you!" the older demon swore.

"We'll see about that," his son retorted as he heard his father fly off, "You old coot."

Tsukuyomaru didn't dare risk leaving his cave to retrieve his clothes during the day nor when night fell. He waited for sunrise to venture out again to get his clothing and once he'd had it in his arms, he flew back to his hideaway and dressed there. He sat deep in thought, trying to think of what he could do, weighing his options. He couldn't keep living like this, but he couldn't stay within the bat-demons' territory, he'd be killed. There wasn't much to think about, he had to leave the area as soon as he could, his body wasn't one hundred percent, but he'd regained strength enough to move on. But to leave his mate and daughter… it broke his heart to do so, but as far as they knew he was dead. Revealing himself to them only put them in danger from his father and clan; much as he hated to do it, he had no other choice but to leave without saying good-bye.

Tsukuyomaru made up his mind: he would leave immediately, while it was still light out when the majority of his clan was asleep. There was nothing to gather, his belongings consisted of the clothes on his back, the armor he wore, and the sword at his side. He would be safe once he was out of the bat demons' territory, most of them never dared set foot outside of their boundaries, they certainly wouldn't pursue him that far. So, his mind made up and his heart aching, Tsukuyomaru emerged from his cave.

"Good-bye, my beloved," he said with a last glance toward the direction of the village.


	3. Savior

A cloaked figure made his way through the forest, the hood over his head to hide the dark pallor of his skin and pointed ears. A stallion laden with saddle and equipment followed tranquilly, the reins of the beast's bridle held loosely in a white gloved fist. Eight years… eight long years had passed, his bloodstained white gloves had long been replaced as well as his _kimono_ and _hakama_, and the armor that had been damaged in his father's near-fatal attack had been repaired. That task hadn't been easy; he'd had to locate a demon smith to repair it, not to mention obtain the dragon scales necessary for those repairs. But he'd managed and his breastplate, arm and shin guards were as good as new, the problem was paying the old bastard back as the repairs hadn't come cheap. Thus, he wandered in the guise of a human, slaying demons for a price, and paid the old smith half of his profits while he himself kept the rest. Of course the humans he offered his services to had no idea the man they hired was himself a demon, a bat demon specifically. He gave his name when people asked it, relatively sure none would be familiar with it as he was not famous by any means.

He'd learned various fighting techniques and battle tactics through the passage of years, skills he'd put to use against the demons he'd slain. A demon killing his own kind… it seemed almost cannibalistic, but that mattered none to him any longer. He hardly considered himself either demon or human, he didn't belong to either world, though his features and his blood marked him a demon. He'd also taught himself to hide his aura from those that could've sensed it such as monks and priestesses, as well as masking his scent from other demons. The cloak he wore served to hide his bat's wings, the hood worn over his head to hide the dark color of his skin, pointed ears, and white hair, features that anyone with eyes would know marked him a demon. He stopped as he came upon a large, very old tree in the forest, heaving a weary sigh as he gazed up at it. Local legend had it that a half-demon had been sealed to this tree by a priestess's arrow, a notch in the old tree marked where the arrow had held the half-breed. Not far from this tree was the Bone Eater's Well and beyond that was the village that had once housed the legendary Shikon Jewel, the Jewel of Four Souls.

Meanwhile, beyond the trees stood the Bone Eater's Well where it was said the bodies of demons disappeared. A large, over packed, and very worn yellow backpack flew out of the well's opening and fell on the ground beside the well with a soft thud. A pair of hands appeared on the rim of the well and a head of wavy black hair appeared as a young girl of about fifteen heaved herself over the rim. She cursed under her breath as she gasped for breath and sat on the wooden edge of the ancient well to catch her breath. Stupid Inu Yasha, he was nowhere in sight, surprisingly he wasn't there waiting for her. No doubt he hadn't expected her back so soon, all the complaining she'd done, he probably expected her to be a few more days after failing her math test. But as it was, she hadn't failed the math test she'd been struggling to study for the last week or so, thus she'd already returned. If Inu Yasha wasn't here, he was probably still in Kaede's village, grumbling about how long she was taking and how many shards they still had to gather.

Kagome heaved an agitated sigh; he was a dear friend to her, but honestly he was so bloody predictable! She got to her feet and grabbed her bag, prepared to make her way to the village where her original incarnation had once been a priestess, but a growl sounded from behind her. She turned to see a large lizard demon staring at her with what looked like a hungry glint in its eye. She stared at it, cursing herself for not having sensed the demonic aura and trying to remember where she'd left her bow and arrows. They were back in Kaede's village, d'uh! She was so dead… A shrill scream rang through the forest, reaching the ears of the cloaked demon. He turned and looked in the direction the scream had come from, the direction of the Bone Eater's Well. He cast out his senses and soon felt the aura of a demon as well as that of a priestess a ways from his own location, possibly near the Bone Eater's well. Without a second thought, he mounted his horse, kicking it into a canter, and directed the beast toward the well.

Kagome backed up a few steps, trying to decide the best way to get herself out of this mess while trying to remain calm. The demon had yet to attack and was simply crouched in a stalking position, content to watch and wait for her to start running. She'd read somewhere that running from a predator only attracted their attention and that one should simply back away. She wondered if the concept worked on demons, though in retrospect this probably hadn't been the best time to test that theory. The demon suddenly let out a roar and stood on its hind legs, but an arrow whizzed over her head, striking the demon's snout. Kagome turned to see a beautiful stallion rearing and when it placed its hooves back on the ground, there astride its back was a tall man, clad in armor and cloaked. As she watched, while the demon shook off the arrow, he swung down from his horse, unsheathing the _kodachi_ that hung at his side. The lizard demon growled at this new threat as the man walked past Kagome to stand between her and the demon. He charged, the demon swinging its long tail, but the man leapt over it, his blade biting into the demon's flesh as he landed on the ground. The monstrous lizard growled before lunging, jaws gaping, at this unknown competitor.

Kagome gasped, hands to her face, concerned for this cloaked stranger who'd come to her aid. In the same instant the lizard demon's jaws came in contact with the man's arm, the short blade was thrust through the roof of its mouth. The demon's blood oozed down the blade, mingling with the blood that seeped from the wounds its sharp teeth had made in the man's forearm. In one swift motion, the man removed his sword and resheathed it with the grace and speed of a man skilled with a blade. He rose from his kneeling position on the ground, nudging the still form of the demon with his foot to ascertain that it was indeed dead. He turned to the girl standing behind him, her brown eyes wide with fear and her dark hair gleaming in the sunlight. Clearly she was young, sixteen perhaps, but already she was a vision of loveliness, her beauty would only grown as she matured. As the shock over what had happened passed, Kagome dropped to her knees, eyes still fixed of the cloaked form of the stranger.

Concerned about this strange girl, the man approached her and knelt down in front of her.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Kagome looked up into his barely discernible features; there was very little she could make out clearly, but she could swear his eyes were purple in color.

"Yes," she got out, then cleared her throat, "I'm fine."

Nodding, he rose to his feet, offering her a white-gloved hand which she took, and he helped her to his feet. He closed his eyes, tilting his head back slightly, as he caught her scent. It was soft and pure, inviting and dangerously tempting, but then he took closer note of her aura and his eyes snapped open. The girl was a priestess, he could sense it and it made his demonic blood tingle, unsettled him and put him on edge. Not only was a she a _miko_, she was a powerful one and he couldn't be sure she wouldn't sense his demonic aura. He had to leave her as soon as possible before she picked up on it or something tipped her off to his true nature. Humans didn't understand that not all demons were bad, so if the girl discovered what he actually was, she'd most likely attack him. At the moment he was finding departing rather difficult as the girl was giving him a friendly smile that he couldn't tear himself away from.

"Thank you," she said, "for saving me."

"You're welcome," he replied with a bow, "but I'm afraid I must go."

"Wha--?!" Kagome got out as her savior turned to walk away, "But-!"

Kagome turned to look back over her shoulder in the direction of Kaede's village where her friends were patiently waiting, biting her lip. She had to get back, but for a reason she could neither understand nor explain, she didn't want to see her savior leave yet. She turned to look back at him to see him leading his horse back the way they'd come.

"Wait!" she called, hurrying after him.


	4. Pain Recalled

The two hadn't gone far before Kagome got somewhat frustrated with the silence, probably due to the fact that she wasn't accustomed to it considering the people she traveled with. Not to mention, the man had yet to lower his hood or even turn to look back at her. He hadn't even bothered to stop, look back, or slow down when she'd first told him to wait. He was tall, that much she could tell, not as tall as Inu Yasha's homicidal older brother Sesshomaru, but taller than her half-breed friend. The armor he wore appeared to be decorated with scales of some kind, she had no idea what they could be as they were too big to be snake or some other reptile. They were probably from some kind of demon, which meant that this stranger may be a slayer or something. At any rate, he was clearly experienced with a blade and battling demons. Her eyes wandered to his horse, then upon his right hand tightly clenching the reins, but what caught her eye was the dark spots on his sleeve and red staining his white glove. Had he been injured during his fight with the lizard demon?

"Hey," she said, jogging to walk by his side, "You all right?"

"Fine," he replied, glancing briefly down at her.

Again, she couldn't help but notice the violet color of his eyes, but his gaze lingered and she noticed the slit like pupils, so much like Inu Yasha's. However, before she could be sure of the shape of his pupils, he turned to look ahead.

"Why are you following me?" he asked.

"Uh--" she uttered, "Well…"

In all honesty, she couldn't be sure why she'd followed, all she knew was that something she couldn't explain drew her to him, compelled her to follow him. But surely he'd think her foolish and slightly crazy if she said that, so instead of answering she tried changing the subject.

"You're bleeding," she pressed, "Are you sure you're fine?"

"Nothing more than a scratch," he responded, "It'll be fine."

"Oh," she fell silent for a few moments.

"What's your name, girl?" her companion suddenly asked.

"My name's Kagome," she snapped, slightly miffed as she recalled when she first met Inu Yasha.

"Kagome," he repeated it slowly, savoring the sound.

"What's your name?"

He was silent a few moments as though hesitating, "Tsukuyomaru."

Tsukuyomaru, "winged of the night"; why did his name sound so familiar? Though she couldn't put her finger on it, she knew she'd heard that name somewhere before. They walked for awhile longer, until the air grew cooler and the sky darker as it became a medley of steadily darkening shades. Her companion, Tsukuyomaru, led her to a clearing and, after instructing her to watch his horse, set about gathering firewood. In silence, he lit the fire, making sure it was a bright, warm blaze before setting off again. He could smell and hear rushing water nearby and where there was water, there was fish.

It didn't take long for him to find the river that was the source of the scent and sound Tsukuyomaru had caught. He removed his cloak, relived to be free of its confining weight and able to stretch his wings. He stripped off his armor and clothing down to the simple loincloth he wore beneath it all and waded into the water. For a few moments, he simply reveled in the freedom of the night air, relishing the feel of the breeze and the water on his naked flesh. He slowly exhaled a deep breath, casting his eyes down as he sought some sign of life beneath the water, whether a ripple on the surface or the silhouette of the fish he sought. Fishing in this way was a difficult enough task, made more so by the fact that his mind was on other things, namely the figurative mask he'd worn since his father's attempt on his life.

It'd been painful, leaving behind the woman he loved and their newborn child, but he hadn't realized the exact magnitude of it. He'd never fully appreciated how open he'd been with the love of his life, never having to pretend to be someone he wasn't. As much as he'd enjoyed her embrace, the feel of her warm body against his, he'd taken it for granted then. He never realized just how much it'd meant to him or how much he needed it in the chaos of his life and the indifference of his father. He longed for it now, to be loved for who he was, the physical intimacy of another, the joy at just being with them. Under his father, he'd never known what love was, never appreciated how essential it was to life or how empty he felt without it. But this was the sacrifice he'd made for the life he'd chosen, it was the price he must pay for living behind a mask. Yet, he felt as though he were forgetting himself, who he was, and in doing so he was losing part of his being, his soul even. All he wanted now was love because without it life seemed so empty and meaningless, it was an addiction, something his body not only needed, but craved.

After all these years, Tsukuyomaru had learned what he'd never been aware of when he was still Shield Guardian. His ability to love was what had always set him apart from his clan, his capacity for it had alienated him from them, but he'd never cared enough to recognize any of it… until now. Now when he had nothing, when he lacked family and love, when all he had was himself and his solitude and he hated it. He couldn't help the tears welling in his eyes, those tears of self-pity and loathing; he was becoming bitter where he'd once been at least content with his life. He couldn't have stopped the tears even if he'd wanted to; what did it matter? There was no one else around to either see him or cry for him. He'd thought the years had numbed him to the pain of being alone, but suddenly that pain was as fresh as the day he'd left everything he loved behind, only it felt a thousand times stronger. He'd spent so much time suppressing it that now that it was again on the surface, it was overpowering.

That girl, Kagome, it must've been her fault that his pain had resurfaced. After all, he'd kept it hidden until now; those soft brown eyes and silken jet hair had undone him. And the warmth of her smile had broken the wall he'd tried so hard to put around his heart to spare himself more pain, but her maturing beauty had ruined it all. Hopefully, if the gods were kind, she would reveal herself to be as ugly inside as she was beautiful outside. That was the last truly coherent thought, before he fell to his knees in the water, wrapping his arms around himself, as his wings enshrouded his form. His body shuddered with the intensity of his sobs, his clawed fingers unconsciously fingering the scars that ran across his chest. Those hideous reminders of his father's treachery, so pale in color, contrasted sharply against the dark pallor of his skin. They were physical reminders that, much as Tsukuyomaru wished it, Taigokumaru's betrayal wasn't just a dream.

Kagome rose from her place by the warm fire, fidgeting with her hair, and simply stood staring into the flames. It felt like her savior had been gone for hours and she was getting anxious. She knew from experience what dangers lurked in the darkness, the demons that dwelt in areas no human in their right mind would dare venture, especially not in the dead of the night. Inu Yasha, Miroku, and Sango always knew when a demon was nearby and ready to attack, but she was young and inexperienced. She'd never been taught how to sense a demonic aura. She was the reincarnation of a powerful priestess, Kikyo, but Kaede, Kikyo's younger sister, felt that Kagome was stronger than her incarnation. But she hadn't been raised a priestess and as a result, there were things she'd never been trained to do. Anything she did with her powers was usually accidental, save for her purification arrows, so her control over those powers were limited. So if a demon were to attack now while Tsukuyomaru was away, she wouldn't know until it was too late.

In the mean time, she was getting hungry and she had no idea why he'd gone off as he'd said nothing of his purpose to her. Removing a ramen cup and bottle of water from her over packed and well-used yellow backpack, she set about preparing supper for herself. Food didn't keep her mind focused though, it merely wandered to this strange man who called himself Tsukuyomaru. His hooded cloak hadn't been removed the entire she'd been with him, so he was probably trying to keep himself hidden, but why? Not to mention his hesitancy when she'd asked his name, but what was he trying to hide? And why was his name so familiar? She could swear she'd heard it before… a sound startled her from her reverie. She quickly turned around and there was Tsukuyomaru, standing over her, with his hood up again, the firelight making the aura of mystery that much greater. There was something strange about him, something that set her priestess senses on edge.

"Kagome?" he asked, "Did you hear me?"

"Huh?" was her response.

"Apparently not," he sighed, "I asked if something was wrong."

"Oh! Nothing," she replied.

"You're sure?" he questioned, "You seem distracted."

"It's nothing, really," she insisted.

Tsukuyomaru didn't respond, merely quirked a skeptical eyebrow and uttered a low moan, not entirely believing her.

He set down the fish he'd caught, taking out a small knife, and set to removing scales and bones before cooking them. He glanced over at Kagome was he knelt by the fire, wandering what that odd thing in her hand was that she was eating from. Whatever it was, it smelled appetizing. He shook his head as he looked back to his own dinner; in his self-pity, he'd forgotten about her and how hungry she must be. He knew he'd taken too long, though he'd only meant to be gone long enough to catch enough fish for their meal. He needed to stop being selfish so long as she was with him and focus on her needs instead of his own. It was only right considering she was female and he was male, as such he needed to be the provider as demanded by propriety. Propriety was something higher-born humans were taught, but he could swear demons knew it instinctively as he'd never been taught any of it, yet he knew what was expected.

Time passed in silence until Kagome decided to retire for the night and rolled out her sleeping bag, an odd contraption to Tsukuyomaru. She lay down with her back to him and before long her breathing slowed and evened out indicating her slumber. She was an odd girl, especially with that indecent outfit she wore with all the skin it left bare. The green skirt showed far too much of her long, smooth legs; an appreciative smirk spread across his face. He always could appreciate a pair of long, feminine legs… especially when they were wrapped around his waist. Mentally he slapped himself for such a vulgar thought, _Bad, Tsukuyomaru! Bad, bad boy!_ All these years and when was the last time he'd had a woman? He really needed to get his mind out of the gutter before he regretted it. He focused again on Kagome; such odd clothing and mannerisms, never mind that bag she carried and that strange food she'd been eating.

Cautiously, Tsukuyomaru rose and walked over to her yellow bag; he wondered what else she carried in it. He knelt down and pulled it toward him, sniffing it as he did so, but pulled away at the multitude of other scents on the bag. Carefully, he leaned his nose closer to it until his nose was practically touching it and again smelled it, inhaling more deeply for a more thorough inspection. There were a variety of scents, the freshest being what he took to be Kagome's immediate family judging by their similarity to her own. The older scents were still detectable, so she must not have been with her family for long. Among the less recent scents, he detected three males and two other females. The stronger male scent was that of a half-breed who apparently didn't bathe very often, the other was pure and human, a monk perhaps, while the last was that of a young demon, a _kitsune. _The female scents were that of a young human, a bit older than Kagome, and a cat demon or fire cat. He knew that _neko youkai_ were normal pets for demon slayers, he wondered if the human female was a slayer. Quite the diverse group, they must be Kagome's clan or pack, which meant they were likely missing her and wondering where she was. They must be looking for her, which was good because if he could only find them it would be easy enough to part with her before she discovered what he was… And before his ehart was irretrievably lost.


	5. Hardheaded Halfbreeds

Kagome shifted in her sleeping bag, letting out a yawn, wondering for a moment why Inu Yasha wasn't yelling at her to get her lazy butt up before she recalled the previous day's events. Her eyes opened as she recalled her mysterious savior and the cloak he always wore, an idea dawning on her as to how to catch him without it. Very carefully she got up, intent on catching him before he awoke, trying to move as quietly as she could so as not to wake-

"Good morning," came that soft male voice.

Crap, there went that plan; she glanced around to see he stood with his back to her, brushing his horse's coat, the blasted cloak on and the hood over his head… again. With a simple nod to him, she gathered her things and headed to the river for a quick bath. Tsukuyomaru watched her go as she passed him, wondering if what he had planned was truly best. He shook his head, returning his attention to grooming his mount; of course his decision was right, the longer she stayed the more the chances of her discovering the truth about him. Not that he was going to say anything to her, she'd probably argue with him about it if he did, so he'd say nothing until he'd located her pack. She was back within a few minutes, hair wet and smelling flowery, his eyelids lowering partway and a stupid grin on his face as he caught a whiff.

"We will depart as soon as you're ready," he said, after shaking his head.

She quirked an eyebrow and looked him, unaccustomed to someone letting her take her time and not rushing her. Course there wasn't much to gather and since he was apparently intent on moving along soon, she took a granola bar out of her pack for a quick breakfast and swung her bag onto her back.

"Ready when you are," she said, smiling at him.

"That was quick," he mumbled as he double checked the saddle to ensure it wouldn't slip.

A gleam from one of the saddlebags caught Kagome's eye, brown eyes focusing on it to see that it was actually coming from a small pouch hanging beside the saddlebag. Jewel shards, three of them, glowing to her eyes and hers alone. This being possessed three shards, but simply kept them in the small pouch instead of taking advantage of their power. How strange. The only one they'd encountered who had no interest in the shards was Sesshomaru, all others, demon and human alike, used the shards to make themselves stronger.

"Kagome?" he said, "Let's go."

She looked back at Tsukuyomaru to see that he was already walking, his horse's reins in his hand, and followed him at a light jog to keep up with his longer strides. As usual, they walked in silence.

"You're not much of a talker, are you?" she asked.

"No," he replied.

"So…" she began after a few minutes.

He sighed, "There's a reason I travel alone."

Again silence fell, as they continued on their way, Kagome realizing that they were actually going back the way they'd come, but said nothing. She was following him, so he alone knew where they were going. Perhaps he'd gotten disoriented the previous day, perhaps he had no real path but simply let his feet guide him. Whatever it was, he walked with purpose and certainty, she'd trust him to know where he was going.

The pair continued on until they came upon the clearing and passed the Bone Eaters' Well, Kagome glancing at it.

"You sure you know where you're going?" she asked.

"Of course I'm sure," he replied, turning to look at her, "I know exactly where I'm-"

"TETSUSAIGA!" came a yell, interrupting Tsukuyomaru.

"What the crap?" he turned back to see a large blade coming down, his own blade barely having time to block it before the blow struck.

A pair of golden eyes locked with his, he felt sure that he would be staring back at the great demon himself, his old friend: Inu Taisho. But no, as the two blades pressed against each other, Tsukuyomaru saw the long white mane was loose, the form clad in the red fire-rat clothing was too short and scrawny. Wild bangs fell in those golden orbs, a pair of doglike ears barely visible behind them. This was not Taisho, but most likely his half-breed son, yes, of that there was no question, for though the features were younger, the resemblance the great demon was strong. Even the boy's scent, though in dire need of a bath, was much like his sire's.

"Inu Yasha!" Kagome yelled.

"Don't worry, Kagome," he replied, a smug grin on his face, "I'm here to save you as usual."

The two males leapt apart, the half-demon sure he'd win this fight since he had the bigger sword. The _kodachi_ the other held was barely two and half feet long while the Tetsusaiga was nearly as long as Inu Yasha's own body. He charged at the cloaked man who clearly had taken Kagome hostage, shocked when Tsukuyomaru flipped over him, landing squarely on his feet a few feet behind the half-breed. Inu Yasha let out a low growl; there was no way he was a mere human. The fight, if it could be called that, went on for several minutes, Tsukuyomaru's every move purely defensive as he dodged or blocked the half-breed's attacks.

It neared its end when Tsukuyomaru again flipped over Inu Yasha, but Tetsusaiga's tip caught the very edge of the cloak he wore and the wing it hid. Thrown off balance, the pain rippling from the wing to the base of his shoulder, he landed awkwardly, his wings bursting open to catch him, his hood pulled from his head. Inu Yasha's eyes widened as he recognized him as a bat demon, a low growl emanating from his throat, Tsukuyomaru letting out a responsive hiss, bearing his fangs. Inu Yasha raised Tetsusaiga, preparing to use the Wind Scar technique when Kagome stood between them, arms spread out to protect Tsukuyomaru.

"Kagome!" her friend yelled, "Get outta the way!"

"No, Inu Yasha!" she replied, "Listen to me!"

"He's a bat demon!"

"He hasn't hurt me!"

"Move, you stupid girl!"

"SIT!"

Inu Yasha went crashing to the ground, subdued by the spell Kaede had placed on the prayer beads around his neck.

"I'm sorry, Inu Yasha," she said, "But he hasn't hurt me and he's not going to. He didn't abduct me, I followed him."

Tsukuyomaru got to his feet, letting out a deep breath and letting down the shields that hid his aura and scent, his newly revealed demonic aura sending a chill up Kagome's spine as she felt it for the first time. Miroku and Sango were likewise set on edge, their own weapons out, prepared to defend against him if it came to that. They'd had run-ins with his kind and remembered their aggressive, bloodthirsty nature and weren't about to trust one. Inu Yasha let out a growl as he got up, Kagome shooting him a warning glance.

"Keh," was all the half-breed said as Tetsusaiga reverted a rusty blade was slid back into its sheath.

Kagome looked back toward Tsukuyomaru, he could see the suspicion in her eyes as his gaze locked with hers.

"I would not have harmed you," he said gently, "I have no taste for human blood unlike others of my kind."

He moved to walk away as Kagome pondered over the familiar violet color of his eyes, trying to recall where she might've seen eyes like his before.

"Shiori," she muttered, then turned to look at Tsukuyomaru.

"What?" Inu Yasha asked.

"Does that name mean anything to you?" she asked, ignoring Inu Yasha.

Tsukuyomaru stood with his back to the group having stopped dead in his tracks when he demonic hearing had heard the whisper of his daughter's name.

"I have to go," was all he said, as he mounted his horse and prepared to kick it into a canter.

His ears picked up the whistle of an arrow and he reached down and grabbed the small pouch in his hand just as the projectile was about to pierce it, the sharp edge grazing his finger. It was a minor injury but it hurt more than it should have as Tsukuyomaru realized that it had been imbued with the priestess's power. He turned to look at Kagome, who stood her bow in her hand, clearly the one who'd fired the shot.

"Kagome," Inu Yasha gasped.

"He has three jewel shards," she said.

"Where?" he asked, ready to unsheath his sword, "I'll be glad to carve them out."

"In that pouch he's holding," she replied.

Tsukuyomaru glanced at the pouch; how had she known about those tiny crystals he'd found embedded in demons he'd slain?

"What about these shards?" he asked, dismounting.

"You don't know what they are?" she asked.

"No. I found them on some demons I'd hunted down."

"They're shards of the Shikon Jewel."

"I see and you could see them?"

Kagome nodded, "My incarnation was the guardian of the Jewel."

"If you wanted them, you could've just asked."

"Really?"

"I have no use for them."

"Keh! What demon doesn't have a use for the jewel shards?"

Those violet eyes narrowed at the half-breed, "One who is content with the power he has and so does not seek to increase it."

But as he stepped forward to offer Kagome the pouch, his world spun, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed, the only thing he could feel was the horrible throbbing in his forearm.


	6. Of Bats and Dogs

Kagome gently laid a cloth on Tsukuyomaru's forehead, the bat demon letting out a low moan, his eyes fluttering open only to fall shut. He was burning up with what at the moment was a mild fever, his chest piece, gloves, and wrist guards had been removed and his right arm taken out of the sleeve. Just above the elbow, the bite from the lizard demon was swollen and purplish like a bad bruise, most likely the source of the infection that had sparked the fever.

"Clearly you were right to worry about the wound, Kagome," Miroku remarked from where he sat.

"He said it was just a scratch," she replied, loosening the white hair from its tie so his head lay more comfortably, "from a lizard demon. I didn't think it would be this bad this soon."

"A lizard demon?" Sango looked up from Kirara, "Their saliva's known to be toxic, some of it probably entered the wound."

"Yeah, that would make sense," Kagome muttered.

She gently stroked Tsukuyomaru's cheek with the back of her hand, realizing that if this demon were indeed Shiori's father, the girl must get her looks from her mother. She remembered her purple eyes, eerily similar to his, and the dark color of her skin, but there the similarities ended. Her hair had been a pale lavender while his was pure white, much like Taigokumaru, it even seemed that Tsukuyomaru had more of an orange tint to his skin than Shiori. One way or another, he was a very handsome demon with a gentle voice that wasn't gruff like Inu Yasha's, it was a soft masculine tone. She just wondered why he'd been hiding his demon nature the way he had been, she'd never met any demon who'd ever tried to hide themselves like that.

So deep in thought was she that she didn't notice any movement until a larger hand grasped hers, the claws gently brushing against her hand. She gasped, glancing down to see Tsukuyomaru's eyes opening, her hand in his.

"Kagome," he muttered, the sound of it from his lips softer than when Inu Yasha said it.

She couldn't help but smile, "And you said it was just a scratch."

"It's a male thing," he grinned a bit, his eyes closing as he rubbed his cheek against her hand, "Guess it was worse than I thought, huh?"

"Just a little," she returned.

"I got distracted by the pretty thing following me," he said softly.

A blush crept into Kagome's cheeks at that; Inu Yasha never complimented her and she didn't take Miroku's compliments all that seriously since he was a lecher. She certainly never expected a full-blooded demon to find her very pretty especially when compared to female demons like Kagura or Touran.

"Kagome?" Sango's voice broke through her thoughts, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," she said, looking at her friend, "He- he just called me pretty."

"That was sweet of him," Sango smiled.

"Feh," came Inu Yasha's characteristic response, "Fever musta blinded him."

"Sit."

She got up as the half-breed crashed to the ground, prepared to storm off and biting back angry tears, when something grabbed her hand and pulled her to a stop. She turned, expecting it to be Shippo, to see Tsukuyomaru looking up at her, her hand in his, with his other arm braced against the ground to support him.

"Kagome," he said, "Don't listen to him."

"Why shouldn't I?" she asked.

"Does his opinion really matter?" he returned, "What does it matter what he thinks? He might just be saying these things to keep you at a distance or because he doesn't want you paying attention to any other male but him."

"Who should I listen to? Miroku's a lecher, Shippo's too young…"

"Me. You should listen to me, a full-grown, fully matured male demon who thinks you are a vision of loveliness who will only become more beautiful as she matures."

"I think your fever's making you delusional," she replied, but she smiled nonetheless, her blush deepening.

She sat back down beside him, her anger already forgotten, as he relaxed and laid back down, his eyes closing as the fever pulled him back into slumber. His grip on her hand loosened, but she didn't pull away, instead her thumb gently stroked the back of his hand as she laid down beside him, tucking her arm under her head as a pillow.

Tsukuyomaru opened his eyes to see clear blue sky and few clouds the next morning, feeling something smooth beneath his hand. He gently grasped it, identifying it as a smaller, more delicate hand, his head turning to the side to see Kagome sleeping beside him. He rolled onto his side, gently, cautiously lifting his hand to stroke her cheek, a soft moan escaping her lips that raised in a soft smile. Unable, or unwilling, to resist, he slowly leaned his head forward bit by bit, and very gently pressed his lips to hers for the briefest of moments. She moaned again, her mouth opening invitingly, an invitation the bat demon couldn't refuse as he kissed her again, Kagome returning that kiss even in her sleep. He darted his tongue past her lips before pulling away as she began stirring, Tsukuyomaru quickly rolled onto his back, but she remained asleep. Inu Yasha on the other hand had come out of his tree and was walking over to where Tsukuyomaru and Kagome lay. He thought the bat was still sleeping, didn't matter to him if he was or not, but he was impatient for Kagome to get up. Suddenly a hand shot up, grabbing hold of Inu Yasha's firerat cloak and pulling him down, forcing the half-breed to one knee. He let out a growl as he looked down to see the bat demon's violet eyes glaring up at him, his fang bared slightly as he snarled in response.

"You dare wake her," he muttered, "And you and I are going to have problems, half-breed."


	7. Holy Komori

Kagome woke to the sounds of a scuffle breaking out and the loss of the warm body next to her, bolting upright to see Tsukuyomaru and Inu Yasha clearly fighting, Sango and Miroku observing and taking bets on who would win while Shippo was egging the bat demon on. Clearly Inu Yasha had already gotten in at least one good punch if the blackening eye Tsukuyomaru now sported was any indication. He was currently flat on his back on the ground with the half-breed on top of him, both Inu Yasha's wrists gripped in his hands as he struggled to keep his claws from his face or throat, one foot pressed against the dog's abdomen trying to push him off. Furious with the both of them, but especially Inu Yasha who'd gotten into a fight with the _komori_ knowing he was ill and already injured, Kagome rose to her feet.

"SIT!" she yelled, immediately regretting it, hands flying to cover her mouth.

Inu Yasha crashed down on top of Tsukuyomaru so instead of the usual _hanyou_-shaped crater, there was now a _komori_-shaped one instead, Kagome not having considered Inu Yasha's position above the bat demon. Inu Yasha pulled himself up, a smirk on his face as he looked down at the groaning and now very-sore bat demon below him.

"Thanks for breaking my fall, bat," he muttered.

Tsukuyomaru's response was a swift knee to the half-breed's crotch, Inu Yasha's hand immediately reaching to cradle the wounded appendage as he went to return the favor, but instead of soft flesh, his knee came in painful contact with the fauld protecting that region. Tsukuyomaru pushed the half-demon off and struggled to his feet, trying to keep his weight off his injured arm, his head and body sore from his intimate meeting with the hard ground.

"That was a cheap shot!" Inu Yasha gasped, his voice slightly higher than normal, "Course I shoulda figured a worthless bat would fight dirty."

"I don't fight dirty," Tsukuyomaru replied, "I fight to win. And watch who you call worthless, half-breed."

"This comin' from a demon," the _inu_ went on, "with a half-breed brat of his own!"

"Oh, I'm not saying I think you're worthless," the bat clarified, "You misunderstand. You're the half-breed here, many, humans and demons alike, think you're the worthless one."

"Bastard!" he growled, looking ready to launch himself at the bat again, "Doesn't matter though, I win! So you have to stay away from Kagome!"

"InuYasha!" Kagome gasped as Miroku put a hand to his head.

"Oh? I hadn't realized we were fighting over rights to the female," Tsukuyomaru remarked, flexing his claws, "But you won nothing."

"How do you figure, bat-boy?" Inu Yasha taunted as the two circled each other.

"It was hardly an even match," the older demon explained, "In my weakened state and my preferred arm injured, of course you had the upper hand."

"Well, too bad," the half-demon smirked.

Kagome waited until Inu Yasha charged at Tsukuyomaru, walking by the two of them, the bat demon turning to see what she was doing, so distracted by her that he forgot about the half-breed about to collide with him. Thus the moment Inu Yasha tackled Tsukuyomaru from behind, Kagome muttered the word, "Sit!" sending the bat demon face-first into the ground with the half-breed on top of him, not at all pleased with the conversation she'd overheard.

"My face hurts," Tsukuyomaru muttered, lifting his head and coughing from the dust.

"Well, it's killin' me," Inu Yasha remarked, aching, but glad he wasn't the one face down on the ground.

Violet eyes watched Kagome's long legs walk away from the pair, looking up to see her with her eyes closed and head in the air with her arms crossed as she stormed away.

"Kagome?" he called, "Wait! Ow! Get off me, half-breed!"

"Oh, I'm sorry does my half-breed stench offend you?!" Inu Yasha snapped from on top of him.

"No! But your filthy-dog stink does!" he returned, elbowing him hard in the gut to get him off, "Kagome! What'd I do?"

He managed to pull himself out from under Inu Yasha and took a few steps after Kagome, when something grabbed his leg and pulled him back to the ground he was getting to know oh-so-well. He glanced behind him to see Inu Yasha holding tight to his ankle to keep from going after her first, glaring at him before pushing his free foot against the half-breed's face to try and push him away. When that didn't work, he extended one of his wings and gave the _hanyou_ a good whack in the face with it, catching him off-guard and forcing his grip to loosen. He quickly got up and followed Kagome, Miroku placing his staff firmly on Inu Yasha's back to keep him down when he tried to get up to prevent him from continuing his efforts against Tsukuyomaru.

"Kagome! Wait!" the bat called when he caught sight of her.

"Go away!" she replied.

Jumping into the air, his wings opened to allow him to fly the short distance to her, turning in mid-air before landing in front of her, his wings remaining open to create a bit of a wall to keep her from going anywhere.

"Kagome," he said, as she turned her back to him, placing his hands gently on her shoulders, "What have I done? Please tell me, why are you so angry with me?"

"You lied to me, for one!" she snapped, turning to face him.

"Are you truly upset about that?" he asked with a shrug, "You said nothing about it yesterday."

"Well, what was all that about rights to the female?" she demanded.

"Nothing meant for your ears," he said, his wings folding over his body, "Please, Kagome, I did not mean anything by it, I had only responded to what Inu Yasha had said. It was the implication of his words."

She softened as she gazed up at him, the remorse and apology clear in his vibrant, purple eyes, helped by the sorry state he was already in with the right half of his clothing hanging loose at the waist and the blood-stained bandage covering his right forearm. She reached up and brushed a few loose white hairs from his face, but as she glanced down she caught sight of something pale against the dark skin of his neck, pushing aside wing and clothing. She gasped as she realized what it was: a wide, jagged scar starting from the base of his neck and going diagonally across his chest, one of five she saw as she pushed aside his clothing. The first of those scars began at the hollow of his throat, just above his collar bone, then the first one she saw, the third and fourth starting at his shoulder and bicep, the fifth starting at his peck and all going in the same direction. They looked like claw marks, but they were much wider than any she'd seen before, Tsukuyomaru's hands would've been much too small to make them, so whatever had left those ugly marks must've been much larger. She let out a distressed cry, looking up into those violet orbs, as it finally dawned on her: his father had left those marks, those hideous scars were the remnants of wounds that had nearly killed him. She wondered how he could have survived such an attack, to have left permanent scars on a demon, the wounds must have been deep so the blood loss would've been great, so how had he survived?

"Taigokumaru," she whispered, "He did this, didn't he?"

Tsukuyomaru glanced down and away to hide the pain on his face, her words reminding him that he had yet to repay his father for such lasting marks, as he pulled his clothing back into place before abruptly turning to head back to camp.

"Tsukuyomaru!" Kagome called, reaching a hand out to him.

"Yes, he did this," he said softly before turning back to look at her, his eyes glowing a faint red, his handsome face contorted in barely contained fury, his voice raising in volume as he spoke, "Is that what you want to hear? Yes, my father did this to me! His own son, his only child! A lasting reminder of his betrayal, of his hate! I was naïve to think he would never attack me outright! YES, HE DID THIS!"

He turned away from her again, stopping and putting a hand to his head; his arm was throbbing and he was still feverish which meant the poison hadn't finished running its course yet and the earlier tussle with Inu Yasha hadn't helped any.

That had all started because he wouldn't let the half-breed wake the little _miko_ he was growing fond of and the obvious possessiveness the half-demon displayed toward her. He needed to return to camp so he could lie down and tend to his wound, if the blood spots on the bandage were any indication it seemed it had reopened courtesy of the half-breed. He was beginning to wonder how she put up with him. Speaking of, she was walking close behind him, not seeming at all offended by his outburst and the way he had snapped at her, he hadn't meant to, but her innocent question had opened old wounds that he was beginning to think would never stop hurting. She wondered how long he'd been without speaking to anyone about what had been done to him, how long he'd been holding that back, bottling it all up. She couldn't imagine how he must feel, she knew what it was like to be betrayed by someone you love, Inu Yasha did it every time he snuck off to that clay-pot of his, but to have been attacked in a murderous rage by your own parent... She had no idea what that sort of betrayal was like. He stopped and turned to look at her, unshed tears shining in her eyes, the expression on her face sad and thoughtful, not paying any attention to what was around her being so caught up in her thoughts, she walked right into him. Returning from her reverie, she took a step back and looked up at him, wondering why he'd stopped so suddenly when their camp was in sight, Inu Yasha chasing Shippo and Miroku gazing longingly at Sango's behind in the background.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, his head down and his eyes partly closed, "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that, you didn't deserve it. It's just... time doesn't heal all wounds, some remain open and fresh no matter the passage of time."

"It's alright," she replied, "I can't imagine what that kind of pain is like, I know how it feels when someone betrays your trust, but for that someone to be a parent... They're supposed to love you no matter what."

"Why're you so sad?" he asked, hooking his finger under her chin and lifting her head up to look at him.

"For you," she said, "Because you've spent all this time alone and hurting with no one there to help you. Because someone like you doesn't deserve this and you've kept it all bottled up inside for so long. And those awful scars won't let you forget."

"Don't cry for me, I've shed enough tears for myself over the years."

"Have you really?"

"No. I prefer not to dwell on it, otherwise that pain is just brought to the surface and feels a hundred times worse, so I do not allow myself the luxury of tears."

"See? You need someone to cry for you since you won't do it for yourself."

"Tears will not change what happened, they will not wash away the pain."

"No, but they can cleanse the soul and help you heal and move past it."

"Kagome, allow me to ask you something."

"Sure."

"How- how do you know of Taigokumaru? What he did to me?"

"That's a bit of a story, it might take awhile."

"Surely we have time while I heal."

"Only if you tell me how you survived such a brutal attack."

He turned his gaze up to the sky, "I've asked myself that same question many times over the years. I don't know. I regained consciousness and by sheer will forced myself into the water and to swim to shore. I had to survive."

So as they walked the short distance back to camp and sat by the fire, Kagome told him of how they'd met the Hyakki Komori and Taigokumaru for the purpose of strengthening Tetsusaiga and told him everything that had happened over the couple of days they'd been there. Inu Yasha, Sango, and Miroku filled in anything Kagome missed as Tsukuyomaru listened closely, breathing a sigh of relief upon hearing that his father was dead and the orb destroyed.

"_Domo arigatou_," he said, turning to Inu Yasha and bowing low enough that his forehead touched the ground.

"For what?" the half-breed asked, taken aback by the display.

"I have dearly wished for my father's death," he replied, straightening up, "I owe you a debt for avenging me, intentional or unintentional."

"Yeah, well," Inu Yasha got out, "Don't mention it. Not like I was doing it for you! That bat had to go."

"Now you owe me an explanation," Kagome said, serving everyone their food.

"For what?" Tsukuyomaru asked, blinking in confusion.

"For lying to me," she answered, quirking a brow when he refused the bowl she offered.

"I never lied to you," he said.

"Well, you never told me you were a demon," she returned.

"You never asked," came his response.

"I assumed..."

"Well whose fault is that?"

"Tsukuyomaru," Sango said, "Why did you hide yourself? It's rare to to find a demon who can cloak their aura and their scent."

"It isn't so much cloaking," he answered, accepting a bottle of water Kagome offered, "As it was a sort of shield. I make my living hunting demons who threaten humans and their villages, no one would hire me if they knew I was one myself."

"You shielded your aura and your scent?" Kagome wondered.

"Basically," he replied.

"How?" she pressed.

"Well," he pondered over how best to explain it, "It's something that I can do as the shield-guardian of my tribe. I'm not entirely sure how to describe it."

"How can you shield anything with the orb destroyed?" Inu Yasha demanded, "Way we heard it, you lose your powers when a new guardian takes your place."

"The blood-coral," Tsukuyomaru sighed, gazing up at the sky in thought, "is not the source of the shield-guardian's powers. Only the shield-guardian can produce a shield, but the orb amplifies it so it's large enough to protect the entire clan. While our powers wane with age and are lost once the duty is passed on, I have retained mine, I cannot explain why. Perhaps my powers over the blood-coral are lost, but I know I can still produce a shield. Maybe that's how it works, the power over the orb wane and are lost, but not our own abilities, or maybe it's because of the manner in which my daughter took my place. I cannot say."

"Well ain't you useful?" Inu Yasha quipped through a mouthful of ramen.

Tsukuyomaru simply looked at the half-demon, eyebrows raised and his eyelids lowered halfway; he wondered if the Dog General's son was always like this or if there was something about him the _hanyou_ found offensive.

"You'd be welcome to stay with us if you like," Kagome offered.

"What?" Inu Yasha shot up and glared at her, "You pickin' up another stray?!"

"Oh, so we're all strays, Inu Yasha?" Shippo narrowed his eyes at the half-dog demon, "What does that make you?"

"I was here first, runt!" he snapped.

"Well if you're gonna be that way," Kagome quipped, "then I guess you're the first stray I picked up, Inu Yasha. I figured why not add a bat to my menagerie?"

"What?!" he glared at her.

"Puppy dogs are just so everyday ordinary," she went on, "I thought I'd go with something different."

"So now I'm your puppy dog, huh?!" he growled.

Tsukuyomaru rolled his eyes to look at Kagome, tilting his head and quirking an eyebrow as she slurped at her own ramen.

"They're always like this," she remarked, "So what do you think, wanna be my pet bat?"

"I dunno," he pondered, "I rather enjoy my freedom, but how can I turn down the perks of being a kept-bat? Free food, a warm bed (least I think that's what that is), attention..."

"Don't forget your walkies!" Inu Yasha growled.

"You're the one that needs to be walked," he replied.

"Least dogs are cute!" the half-breed got out, "Not like ugly old bats!"

"Oh, hush, Inu Yasha," Kagome said, her arms around Tsukuyomaru as she nuzzled her cheek to his hair, "I think he's just adorable!"

Childish though it was, Tsukuyomaru stuck his tongue out at Inu Yasha, thoroughly enjoying playing along with Kagome and taunting the ill-tempered pup glaring at him. Besides he was currently in heaven with his head against her soft, pillowy bosom, he almost wished he had a tail to wag for sheer joy.

"Kagome!" Inu Yasha practically whined, "Get your hands off him, you don't know where he's been!"

"Not like anyone knows where you've been," Tsukuyomaru shot at him, "Or what you've been rolling in."

"I ain't been rolling in nothing!" the _inu hanyou_ shot back.

"Sure smells like it to me," the bat pinched his nose.

"Why I oughta-!" he began.

"You oughta what, Inu Yasha?" Kagome snapped, "You take one step toward him and I'll s-i-t you into next week!"

Tsukuyomaru snickered, then Kagome turned on him, "And you!" she got up, Tsukuyomaru falling over, not realizing he'd actually been leaning against her, hand on her hip and wagging a finger in his face, "I haven't forgotten your involvement this morning!"

"He started it!" both dog and bat got out at the same time, pointing clawed fingers at each other.

"Me?" Tsukuyomaru gasped, "How did I start it? You hit me first!"

"By bein' here where you got no business bein'!" Inu Yasha growled.

"I don't care who started it!" Kagome yelled, "I'm finishing it! Now both of you behave or I'll s-i-t both your butts into next week."

"He's the one with the beads," Tsukuyomaru argued.

"And I'm sure," she said with a dangerously sweet smile, "He wouldn't mind having a hold on you when he hits the ground! Now, Tsukuyomaru, why don't you go lie down? I should probably change that bandage."

In response, he rose and began walking away from camp, putting his injured arm back in its sleeve before tying his hair up in its customary tail, his wings opened to take flight.

"Wh-where are you going?" Kagome asked, more than a bit confused.

"To hunt," he answered, glancing at her over his shoulder, eyes narrowed.

With that, he launched himself into the air, wings flapping and flew off from sight; the smell of the food the priestess had prepared for her friends had roused his appetite and he couldn't remember the last time he'd fed and considering his injured state, he needed to so he could heal. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, taking in the scents around him for some sign of suitable prey, before honing in on the scent of a herd of deer.

Kagome, armed with bow and arrow, went off after Tsukuyomaru, accepting Sango's offer to take Kirara since the fire-cat could fly where Kagome couldn't, something sure to come in handy in pursuit of a flying demon. He'd clearly been upset when he'd taken off, but she wasn't sure if he was hurt or angry or what he was upset over to begin with, but she knew he was by the he'd turned to leave without a word and the narrowing of his eyes when she'd asked. His horse and belongings had been left at camp, so surely he was coming back, but there was no telling when he'd come back and she was concerned about him being off alone in his condition. The toxin was still in his blood, his wound was still healing and he still had a fever, in his weakened state he might get hurt or lose strength and collapse somewhere. A trampling of hooves somewhere close by caught the attention of both _neko _and rider and Kirara descended to land in the vicinity of a herd of deer running almost as one, clearly being pursued by something. Above them, the eyes of a predator watched, his gaze focusing on one of the weaker members of the herd, falling behind the others as she limped along, his wings folding close to his body as he dove, tackling the hapless creature to the ground, claws sinking into her. Even as the doe struggled, he lunged, fangs bared as they tore through the flesh of her neck, seeking the jugular and latching on to her throat. He sucked in time with the rapid beating of her heart, her struggles slowing and crying dying down as he drained her life's blood, far too absorbed in his meal to be aware of the frail thing watching him.

Kagome had never seen anything like it, the act of a predator, whenever Inu Yasha hunted he did so alone and came back with the carcass of whatever he'd caught, but this, this was a display of a demon's lethal capabilities in action. She gasped at the grisly sight of predator feeding on prey, backing up a step, inadvertently snapping a twig as she did so, the demon freezing and lifting its head to turn in her direction, lifting a clawed hand to lick the blood from his fingers. Her eyes locked with those familiar violet orbs, hardly believing that this deadly creature was sweet and gentle Tsukuyomaru even as he licked his red-stained lips and rose, resting a gentle hand on the dead deer's muzzle. Turning and walking away from the poor creature, he knew it wouldn't be long before some scavenger came to take advantage of the bounty of flesh he'd left behind.

"What-?" Kagome got out as he walked past her and Kirara, "But- why?"

"A bat must eat," he replied, walking towards a small stream so he could wash away the blood.

"Whatever you say, Dracula," she scoffed.

"What's a dracula?" he asked.

"A vampire," she replied.

"Oh, okay," he said, "What's a vampire?"

"Some_thing_ that sucks blood," she answered.

"You know, we have a term for that around here," he smirked briefly before he went on with a straight face, "A _komori_."

He could tell that she was suddenly wary around him, likely due to what she'd witnessed, he wondered if he'd frightened her with that display. He couldn't help what he was, though he would not drink human blood, he was still a bat demon and his kind fed primarily if not solely on blood, for him animal blood was sufficient. There was a reason he'd gone off alone to feed and it was to avoid this, he knew his kind's feeding habits alone struck fear in humans, let alone their tendency to feast from the humans themselves. Perhaps she was just in shock, forgetting that he was first and foremost a predator, so actually witnessing him feeding had scared her. He stopped, slowly turning toward her and approaching the girl, trying to ignore the hurt he felt when she actually backed away from him.

"Do I scare you?" he asked, "Are you truly so afraid of me?"

"No," she whispered.

"You shouldn't be," he murmured, stroking her cheek with the back of his claws, "I've given you no reason to fear me."

"But that-" she stammered, "You- back there..."

"You were not meant to witness that," he said, "I may be an oddity among my kind, but I am still a bat demon. Even I feed on blood, just not the human variety. I had said I was hunting, I went off alone because you do not need to see me like that in my predatory state."

He turned away from her and knelt at the stream, splashing water on his face to wash away the blood before rinsing his hands for the same reason. She had seen the hurt in his eyes at the prospect of having frightened her; everything he and the others had seen were regular occurrences so didn't bother them, but they were far from normal where she came from. So while they thought nothing of the blood and violence that made their world, it still made her uneasy at times, especially when she gets such a startling reminder of the true nature of her friends even though she knows they'd never hurt her.

"I was just worried," she said, sitting beside him, "You're still sick and injured, I was afraid something would happen to you while you were gone."

"I am not so weak that I couldn't handle a hunt alone," he remarked, rising and heading back to camp.

"Why'd you take off like that anyway?" she asked, "And don't tell me you're fine, you were obviously upset about something."

He didn't answer, thinking back on it he was still a bit aggravated though the hunt did much to let him act out his aggravation. He'd been bothered by her lumping himself and the half-breed together when it was the half-breed that instigated the scuffle and had thrown the first punch all because the bat wanted him to let the priestess sleep. He didn't see why he had needed the lecture when he'd done nothing but defend himself and Inu Yasha had made it clear he didn't like the bat demon getting any closer to Kagome.

"I would just as soon not discuss it," he finally said.

"Tsukuyomaru," she said slowly after a few moments of silence as they returned to camp.

"What?" he asked with a sigh.

"What're you going to do now?" she got out.

"What do you mean?" he wondered.

"Well, with Taigokumaru gone," she began, "I mean if he's why you left, you could go home to Shizu and Shiori, couldn't you?"

"I could," he agreed.

"Will you?" she pressed.

"I don't know," he replied.

"You should," Inu Yasha said from his tree, "Ain't like you belong with us. 'Sides they need you, we don't."

"It couldn't hurt to have some extra help against Naraku!" Kagome snapped.

"What?" he growled down at her, "What use would he be against Naraku?!"

"He has a shield!" she argued.

"So does Naraku!" he leapt down from the tree to sit in front of her, "What, you think it's gonna come down to who's got the better shield?!"

"No! But don't you think a shield might come in handy?" she snapped.

"Inu Yasha," Sango put in, "He is a powerful demon in his own right, he was a_ taiyoukai_ among his clan."

"A _taiyoukai_ among a pack of bats don't mean nothin'!" Inu Yasha responded, "That ain't any better than Koga."

"Do not put me in the same category as the Wolf Prince, whelp," Tsukuyomaru said.

"Why not?" the half-breed turned to look at him, "You two are just about on the same level."

"Surely it wouldn't hurt to have one more among our number to aid in our efforts," Miroku offered.

"He's a full-blooded demon!" Inu Yasha yelled.

"So am I," Shippo huffed.

"Yeah but he's a _bat_ demon!" his white dog ears twitched irritably, "We can't trust him!"

"Can't trust me?" the bat questioned, narrowing his purple gaze at Inu Yasha, "I had your priestess for two days, no harm came to her, I even went to the trouble of bringing her back to you. And you can't trust me? Just because I'm a bat?"

"From the Hyakki Komori, stupid," Inu Yasha growled, "So you ain't just any bat demon, you're one of them, the son of Taigokumaru. We dealt with your kind, bloodthirsty fuckers the bunch of them. What makes you any different?"

There, Inu Yasha struck a nerve as the _komori_'s eyes glowed red, "I AM NOT THEM! I am nothing like them! I may be Taigokumaru's flesh and blood, but I am NOT my father! I do not feed on human blood, I mated a human, my daughter is a half-breed like you and you dare say I am not trustworthy? DO NOT COMPARE ME TO THEM!"

Kagome vividly recalled the day Taigokumaru had boasted about what he'd done to his own son, Inu Yasha's fury that a father could so brutally and callously kill his own child, his desire to kill the old bat for that sin. She didn't wonder if Taigokumaru had known his son had survived, though that was a question to ask, no, she wondered what happened to her friend's anger on the behalf of a demon he'd never met. He'd seemed so angry with that revelation, yet here he was now calling the same bat demon he'd all but avenged untrustworthy, so was his anger for Tsukuyomaru or had it been for poor Shiori's sake?

Tsukuyomaru was shaking in barely controlled fury, cursing this _hanyou_ for comparing him to his foul brethren, kin that had made it clear they didn't want him, that he was disposable, his eyes still aglow with red light. It was his greatest shame after all had been said and done to be associated with the Hyakki Komori and this insolent whelp dare compare him to them? Those who had taken everything from him, his home, his family, his love, they'd cost him everything.

"You know what it's like to be an outcast, don't you, half-breed?" he spat, his _youki_ flaring, "Do you have any idea what it is to be an outcast among your own kind? I have been rejected by my mother's clan, am I now to be rejected by the half-breed son of my only friend? All because of what I am, of where I came from. Have you any idea what it's like knowing your only use to your clan, to your father, is upholding your duty as Shield-Guardian? To know that that is the only reason he has you, the only reason you live and breathe? You as a half-demon have more than I do, you have a place to belong, friends that act as a family to you, a girl who loves you enough to forgive you everything. I have none of that, what I once had was taken from me because I wanted to protect it, now I have nothing. So tell me, half-breed, why can you not trust me when I have been deemed disposable and nearly murdered by my own father's hand? Your father gave his life for you, my father tried to take mine. You meant so much to him, he died for you. I meant so little to him, I nearly died at his hand. My own clan, my own father, had no qualms about getting rid of me when I outlived my usefulness, so why can I not be trusted?"

"You expect me to trust a full-blooded demon?" Inu Yasha growled, "I can't tell ya how many of them tried to kill me all for being only half-demon, my own brother one o' them. And I've seen what your kind are capable of. So why should I trust you?"

"So I have two things against me?" Tsukuyomaru asked, "Not only am I full-blooded demon, I'm also a _komori_. Two things you hold against me, two things I cannot help, that're outside of my control."

"Knock it off, both of you!" Kagome exclaimed, "Inu Yasha, I know what you've been through and why you have no reason to trust a full demon, a bat demon even. But he's been betrayed and ostracized by his own kind, he's never given us reason not to trust him, can't you see he's nothing like them? That that's why his own father turned on him? Any other bat demon, I'd agree with you, but this is Shiori's father, a demon who nearly sacrificed his life to protect his family like your father died to protect you."

Inu Yasha really couldn't argue, he didn't like the thought of the bat demon joining them when he had nothing to do with any of this, it was bad enough when Shippo then Miroku then Sango joined him and Kagome.

"Feh!" was all he said in response.

Tsukuyomaru calmed himself, his eyes returning to normal, and he sat himself down where his bedding was still laid out from the previous night, Kagome coming over and kneeling beside him to tend to his wound.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"For what?" she asked.

"I lost control... again," he replied.

"Oh, don't worry about it," she gave him a soft smile, "We deal with worse from Inu Yasha. Guess he touched on a sore spot, huh? That's okay, I can see why after what you've been through."

"He has a point though," he said, "I don't belong here."

He'd heard the rumors and stories of the spider half-breed Naraku and his doings, had even had the misfortune of coming across remnants of the evil creature's miasma in his travels, but he had no personal ties to either the jewel or the evil _hanyou_.

"How do you figure that?" she asked, applying some medicine to the punctures in his arm.

"I have no connection to the jewel or Naraku himself," he answered.

"Neither does Shippo," she explained, "We met him when he stole the shards we'd gathered to get revenge on the Thunder Brothers for killing his father. He didn't have anyone else, so he stuck with us. Besides, Naraku has in some way affected or will affect everyone if he succeeds and you brought us some other jewel shards. Far as I'm concerned, the more the merrier."

"I have no powerful sword like Tetsusaiga," he pressed, "No vendetta against that foul creature, I may be powerful in my own right, but there is truly nothing special or remarkable about me. I'd be fairly useless."

"How do you think I feel? Most of the time I feel like I'm standing in the background while everyone else fights, I'm the one that needs to be protected cuz I can't do it myself. There's really not much I can do, just being a demon you're more useful than me."

"That nick you gave me when you shot that arrow still stings, so I wouldn't call you useless. You clearly know how to handle a bow and arrow quite skillfully and I doubt this is your first time tending to a wound. Don't sell yourself so short, you have plenty of use."

She snorted, "Tell that to Inu Yasha."

"Ignore him, he seems like he's mostly bluster, all bark and no bite."

"Oh c'mon, no bite? Really? You were almost on the receiving end of his Wind Scar, he's got plenty of bite."

"All right, fine. You got me there, but you can't listen to him. He's one of those that will put others down to make himself feel better and you have just enough self-doubt to make you perfect for that."

"Watch yourself, mack."

"I mean no offense. You're one of those that people feel the need to protect, but those are the same ones that others like Inu Yasha will put down when they feel like crap."

"Gee thanks. Look, Tsukuyomaru, I'd like you to stay with us at least for awhile."

"Why?"

"You said yourself you have no one, no friends, no family. Well, let us fill that void until you figure out what it is you wanna do. Besides I could get some good use out of you."

He smiled, giving a soft chuckle, "All right, for you, I will stay at least for now and I'll stand in the background with you and see if I can't use my shield to protect you."


	8. Our Secrets

Violet eyes gazed at those gathered around the campfire, taking note that all seemed to be soundly sleeping around the dying blaze, even Inu Yasha was sleeping soundly up in his tree judging by the deep, even breathing coming from his direction. Last night, Tsukuyomaru had slept well enough courtesy of his unconscious state brought on by his injuries from the lizard demon, tonight however was an entirely different matter. He'd been laying down, feigning a doze when Kagome had unrolled her sleeping bag beside him, Shippo cuddling up to her, waiting for the others to fall asleep themselves, save Inu Yasha since he didn't much care what the half-breed thought. He narrowed his eyes at the red-clad form resting limply on a branch, moonlight shimmering off his silvery-grey mane. He wasn't normally hostile or condescending enough to call someone 'half-breed' but Inu Yasha was bringing out the worst in him with his attitude and possessive nature toward Kagome. He hated to show such disrespect toward him when he had nothing against half-demons, how could he when his own child was one herself, and considering Inu Yasha was the younger son of the great Dog General. But the boy was condescending and distrustful towards him, he didn't much care for it and supposed it would likely take time for them to get used to each other. From what he'd been told, Inu Yasha hadn't been much better toward Miroku or Shippo when they'd joined the duo the half-demon and the priestess had been, but he'd clearly warmed up to them even if he and the kit bickered like siblings. Perhaps it was also Tsukuyomaru's own sense of inadequacy and inferiority complex that left him agitated by Inu Yasha's treatment, he was after all a lowly bat demon and his kind weren't much more than country bumpkins of the demon world.

Although most of the population of this day and age were uneducated, it was a fact that shamed Tsukuyomaru, coming from a lower caste of demons as he did of course he himself was uneducated despite his nobility among them and his well-groomed appearance and manners. Naturally, as a bat demon he was illiterate and had difficulty with more complicated mathematics than basic adding and subtracting with small numbers. He hated it nonetheless especially in the presence of higher caste demons like the _Inu no Taisho_ who'd not only conducted himself as one of his breeding was expected but was easily among the most educated of humans and demons. Tsukuyomaru dressed impeccably in much finer clothing than his brethren ever did and even his own set of demon-bone armor, a short sword at his side, standing out like a sore thumb among them. As if his physical appearance hadn't set him apart enough, being a much more pleasant sight than they were, ugly and weather-worn creatures that his clan had been. His appearance was much more human than theirs, always had been, and his skin had never been as weather-worn and wrinkled, his looks pleasing and youthful, soft and flawless with the charm of a young adult male without being almost feminine like Lord Sesshomaru. With his clothing and groomed looks, it would've been easy for any who didn't know better to mistake him for some noble or a member of demon court, perhaps even Kagome would've made that mistake if not for her having met his former clan. Even Inu Yasha, having been the son of a human princess and raised among higher ranked humans, had to have better education than some inbred hick of a demon the _komori_ tended to be even if he lost all of that at so young an age. That's all bat demons tended to be, a bunch of country bumpkins and inbred hicks of the demon world, wolves weren't much better but at least they tended to breed outside their own packs to keep the blood pure.

That was all neither here nor there, just more to add to Tsukuyomaru's damaged and sometimes fragile psyche, as if he didn't have enough problems, he was confident in his abilities, not his upbringing or breeding, of course even a half-breed like Inu Yasha looked down on him. He rose from his bedding, approaching his horse and digging through the satchel tied to the saddle for the jug he made sure to have on hand. He'd waited to make sure everyone save the _hanyou_ was well and truly asleep before indulging in this particular vice, not wanting his human companions, especially the little _miko_ to see how far he'd fallen since his father's attempt on his life. He sat leaning against a tree beside his dozing steed, uncorking the jug and drinking deeply of the burning liquid contained within, knowing he needed to sleep but unable to without some help. It wasn't the finest sake but it wasn't the worst either, but somewhere in between so he could enjoy the alcohol while it did what he intended it, numbing his body and mind so that he could actually rest. He knew from experience that without the alcohol to induce a stupor, he wouldn't be able to sleep restfully, his slumber nearly always disturbed by nightmares, forcing him each night he slept to relive Taigokumaru's betrayal. Being a demon, he didn't require as much sleep as a human, so this wasn't a habit he indulged in every night, but every few nights when the time came for him to let his body rest. He had done this a night or two ago when he'd first met Kagome, waiting for her to fall asleep and getting rid of the empty jug before she woke so she remained unawares. This was the last of his store unfortunately and now the challenge would be obtaining more without his new companions becoming aware of what he knew was a bad habit yet remained the only way he could actually sleep. Taking another long swig, he opted to worry over that in the morning, sure that he could find a way to slip away from the group either while they were traveling or when they stopped to rest even if he needed to excuse himself to run an errand.

Orange eyes gazed at the bat demon, those purple orbs staring back, hand frozen in the midst of bringing the jug to his lips a third time as the two demons stared at each other, Tsukuyomaru issuing a slight growl at the fire-cat.

"Don't judge me," he muttered to Kirara as she continued watching.

He took a sip from the clay vessel in his hand, beginning to feel the effects of the sake with a light-headed sensation though it was not yet enough to induce the drowse he sought before he settled down for the night. Typically, it took a great deal more sake to get demons drunk than humans, but bat demons tended to have a more delicate brain chemistry than most courtesy of their sonar and senses specially adapted for flight and nocturnal habits. All demons possessed much stronger senses than humans, most if not all able to find their way in the dark, but bats being what they were still had among the strongest night-vision and echolocation to enable them to find their way when even their sight failed them. With such delicately tuned senses, they had a higher sensitivity to alcohol, especially alcohol as potent as sake, Tsukuyomaru knowing it would take a full jug of the fiery liquid to induce the drowsiness he needed to be able to sleep at night. That much sake would render most humans much drunker than a mere drowse, likely causing them to pass out in a drunken stupor and leave them hungover in the morn. It was just right for his purposes without leaving him ill the next day, but he made sure to drink some water before retiring just to be sure, thank kami Kagome kept several bottles of water in that over-sized, over-stuffed bag of hers. He really hadn't cared much if Inu Yasha saw him as long as his pack-mates didn't, though it was probably a good thing the half-demon was asleep as well, he doubted the dog would've kept his mouth shut about this. He had no idea how long it took, but as often happened, it seemed like the jug was empty before he knew it, leaving him feeling wonderfully numb and very drowsy and was ready to retire for the night after digging a bottle of water out of Kagome's bag.

A soft snoring roused Kagome, her hand searching over the ground beside her for the body she'd thought had been there last night before sleepily cracking open her eyes to find the bedding was indeed empty though there'd been a long male body laying beside her when she'd fallen asleep. She sat up, glancing around before her eyes fell on the black stallion nibbling at the grass who gave her a greeting snort, its ears swiveling in her direction. Beside the horse, leaning against the tree, was Tsukuyomaru, head tilted back and his mouth wide open, a trail of drool leading from his mouth down to his chin. Shaking her head, she lifted the tip of one of his wings and wiped it away, his eyes snapping open and blinking rapidly before looking up at her, a hand lifting to wipe at whatever it was she was cleaning up as she turned and walked away to get breakfast ready. He winced as he straightened his neck, tilting his head back and forth in an effort to relieve the ache left over from what had apparently been a very uncomfortable position. He stretched his stiff limbs with a groan, his wings opening as a reflex to stretch themselves, flapping a bit as they did before settling back over his shoulders as he stood, before pulling his claws through his long hair to get out any knots that may have formed while he slept. He was pleased to find that he was feeling worlds better than he had been, perhaps helped by the medicine Kagome had insisted he take before they'd retired for the night. While she was busy preparing the morning meal, he sat down, pulling down the right side of his _haori_ and _kosode _and removing his arm from his sleeve. Unwrapping the bandage, he was pleased to see the swelling had gone down completely, his skin the proper color, and the wound itself closing as his demon blood healed the damage now that the toxin was gone from his system. Rummaging through a saddlebag, he pulled out a small jar, Kagome watching from where she sat, and removed the cover to reveal a salve that he applied a small amount of to the healing injury.

Repositioning his clothing, Tsukuyomaru put his breastplate on before slipping his white gloves onto his hands followed by his bracers, his armor back in place for the first time in days. As the others began waking and settling themselves by the campfire for breakfast, chatting among themselves, he removed his horse's tackle and set to brushing the beast.

"After breakfast, I'm gonna head home for a few days," Kagome said.

"Home?" Inu Yasha questioned, leaping down from his tree, "But you just came back from there."

"Sorry, Inu Yasha," she apologized, "But I have a huge test tomorrow."

"So go back then," he insisted.

"I need to go back today," she argued, "So I can study for it. Feeling better, Tsukuyomaru?"

"Much, _arigatou_," he replied.

"Will you be all right while I'm gone?" she asked.

"The wound will likely be healed completely by the day's end," he assured her, "I'll be fine, so do not worry about me."

"Don't worry about Inu Yasha either," Sango put in, Miroku nodding, "We'll make sure he stays put."

"Keh!" the half-breed said.

So for another hour or so, the group sat huddled around the fire, eating breakfast and making small talk before Kagome packed up what she needed, sure to grab her bow and quiver this time, and headed off to the Bone-eater's Well with Inu Yasha while the others returned to Kaede's village. The next few days passed by uneventfully, Inu Yasha in his customary tree to await Kagome's return, Sango training with Kirara while Miroku gathered herbs with Kaede and Shippo. Tsukuyomaru departed for the time being, opting not to reveal himself to the elder priestess and intrude on a village he had no business being in, heading to another village a day's travel away. He had a bounty to turn in and a reward to collect for slaying a demon that had been terrorizing them and took the opportunity to restock his sake hoard as well as a few other supplies of his own. It was early on the third day that he returned to the clearing around the Bone-eater's Well, spying a familiar red-clad figure approaching at a run before leaping into the air. Something collided with Inu Yasha mid-air, knocking him to the ground several feet from the well, a telltale flutter of leathery wings identifying the attacker as that bothersome stray bat they'd picked up.

"Get off me!" he pushed the demon off him, standing and dusting off his firerat robes, "The hell do you think you were doing?"

"Kagome said to leave her be for a few days," Tsukuyomaru replied, positioning himself between the half-breed and the well, "I will make sure you abide by her wishes. She'll return when she's ready to."

"Back off, bat," Inu Yasha growled, smirking and cracking his knuckles, "Or I'll be forced to hurt you."

"Is that so?" he narrowed his eyes as he crouched in a defensive posture, hand resting on his kodachi's hilt, "Yet you make no move toward your blade."

"I don't need Tetsusaiga to get you out of the way," the half-breed crouched, ready to pounce, "I ain't got time for this."

"I'll see that you make time."

"You're just some pathetic bat demon, they weren't much of a challenge without their barrier."

"Most of them were hardly worth notice and hardly a challenge for a strong half-demon like you, but you forget my rank among them. I was one of their _taiyoukai_."

"That ain't saying much. Now move before I make you move!"

"Bring it on."

What started out as a scuffle quickly turned into a wrestling match as Inu Yasha tried to get to the well and Tsukuyomaru tried to keep him away, neither drawing their blade or even resorting to claws, the fight going on for several minutes, claws and limbs (and wings) flying.

Finally, Inu Yasha got the upperhand, a well-placed foot to the gut knocking the wind out of Tsukuyomaru and leaving him gasping for breath in the grass as Inu Yasha made a mad dash for the well, grinning as he drew closer to the ancient structure. Suddenly as he was preparing to leap up and down into it, he was tackled hard from behind, the force knocking both demons down into the depths of the well, a light surrounding them before they landed on hard earth. Tsukuyomaru glanced around, recognizing the bottom of the well, though the sounds and smells from above were vastly different, noting that it was also darker above them than he remembered.

"Oof!" he grunted as Inu Yasha shoved him off, "Where are we?"

"Nice going, bat boy," he grumbled, leaping to the top, "Now she'll be pissed at us both."

He followed Inu Yasha up, wings spread as he leapt to the top, finding themselves in a small building or shed that had been built around the well, the _inu hanyou_ opening the door in front of them and walking outside, clearly knowing where he was going. Tsukuyomaru went to follow him out the door, but stopped short and staggered back, hands clapping over his nose, as he was bombarded by a cacophony of unpleasant scents, wondering how the half-breed could stand it. Being _inu_, it must have been worse for him given that dog demons had a superior sense of smell to bats, but perhaps being half-demon Inu Yasha's nose wasn't quite as sensitive as a full demon's or maybe he was just used to it. He followed the dog-eared boy across the grounds of what was apparently some kind of shrine to a humble home on the property, Inu Yasha opening the door and walking in with his _komori_ companion cautiously trailing. He led them both to the kitchen where Kagome sat at the table enjoying some tea and an older woman, apparently her mother judging by her scent, stood at some strange rectangle cooking.

"Wha-!" Kagome gasped, almost choking on her tea, "Inu Yasha! What're you doing here? I said I'd be back tomorrow!"

"Or the day after," he glared, "You said you hadn't decided. What? Got a big date with that Hojo bozo?"

"Not that it's any of your-!" she stopped, spying Tsukuyomaru standing a couple feet behind Inu Yasha, "Tsu- kuyomaru?"

"_Gomen_, Kagome," he muttered, bowing his head, "I was only trying to stop Inu Yasha from bothering you when we both fell down the well."

"Kagome, is this one of your other friends?" her mother asked.

"Not really," she replied, "He's a new friend. Mom, this is Tsukuyomaru. Tsukuyomaru, this is my mom."

"It is an honor, Mrs. Higurashi," he said, offering a formal bow when he turned to her.

"Please, have a seat," she said, smiling after returning it, "You and Inu Yasha make yourselves at home. Would you like something to eat?"

"No thank you," Tsukuyomaru replied as Inu Yasha nodded with a grin.

It was later in the evening that found Tsukuyomaru sitting quietly on Kagome's bed looking deep in meditation while she was absorbed in her homework, Inu Yasha busy playing a video game with Sota, leaving the two of them in peace and quiet. She groaned in frustration as she poured over her history book, struggling to find the answer to the essay her teacher expected her to write, but was so far coming up empty. Slowly she lifted her head and looked over her shoulder at Tsukuyomaru, seated on his knees on her bed, hands resting on his thighs, with his eyes closed and head slightly bowed, her gaze drifting to the boots and shin-guards by the door. He had removed the rest of his armor as well, setting it and his kodachi in a neat pile on the floor at the base of her bed, a living, breathing piece of history. She glanced back at her textbook, realizing that what she was currently looking for an answer to was a piece of history he was alive for and during, something that hadn't been far from his home, so maybe he knew something. He opened his eyes with a start at the sound of a muffled thump courtesy of the soft bedding, violet orbs looking down at the book in front of him before raising to meet Kagome's eyes in question.

"Help me?" she smiled, pointing to the book.

Going back to it, he picked it up, resting it on his lap as he gazed at the pages covered in some form of... well, they looked like squiggles, intricate and fancy, but squiggles nonetheless, his fingers running over them as though that would help him make sense of what he was looking at.

"What are you showing me?" he asked.

"Read it over," she said, "And tell me if you know anything about that time?"

His head shot back up to her, his eyes wide and a shamed blush creeping into his cheeks, before he looked away and coughed into his hand.

"This is a different era," he remarked, "Where we are, yes?"

"Yeah," she said slowly, "I told you earlier, this is 500 years after your time."

"And you refer to the period we come from," he went on, "As the Feudal Era, the Sengoku Jidai. You have been to that time, can you not answer this yourself?"

"Just because I travel between that time and this one," she pointed out, "Doesn't mean I know much of what was going on back then or the history. So could you give me a hand?"

"I would," he said then added in a mumble, "if I could read it."

She blinked, "What?"

"I can't read it," he repeated, his cheeks still red as he looked up at her.

"Is that a kanji or a dialect you don't know or something?" she tilted her head.

"_Iie_, you misunderstand," he clarified, his blush darkening, " I..."

"Oh. Oh!" she gasped, "You can't read...! At all?" he shook his head, "Ugh, stupid me! Why didn't I think of that? Most people back then were... Sorry!"

So she briefly explained the problem to him and what it was she was supposed to be writing an essay on, hoping he had an answer.

"Most demons do not concern themselves with human conflicts," he said, shaking his head, "Especially during that time, there were so many wars humans waged among themselves. Even more so given my clan, we were far removed from them, we knew next to nothing about what was going on outside of our own existence. This was not too distant from the villages we preyed on, but in remote villages like those, communication with the outside world was rare. Sorry I can't be of much help."

"It's alright," she said, "I figured it was a long shot, but thought I'd ask anyway. You never know."


	9. Going Home

It had been a few months since Tsukuyomaru had joined their group, he'd become a very useful asset, using his barrier to protect them from incoming attacks, but also lending his skills as a slayer and bringing them a bit of needed coin. He'd helped a great deal when Sesshomaru had agreed to join forces, mostly by diffusing tensions and being one of the few among their group that showed the Demon Lord the proper respect. He was after all but a lowly bat demon in the presence of a much greater _inu_ and though he was a demon lord among his own kind, he was nowhere near one of Sesshomaru's caliber. Kagome heaved a sigh of relief, gazing at the completed Shikon Jewel, purified and whole despite its efforts to continue the eternal battle that had taken place within it. A part of her pitied Naraku, evil though he was, because clearly his wish had been unfulfilled and he'd been little more than pawn of the jewel the entirety of his existence, a means to sustain itself. The battle had been long and hard, not to mention drawn-out, Naraku's most valiant efforts against them thwarted by Sesshomaru's new sword Bakusaiga and Inu Yasha's Meido Zangetsuha. Tsukuyomaru had fought alongside with the others, lending his efforts where he could, the shield he could produce helping to keep them safe from some of the more powerful attacks. It didn't stop them entirely, but it did take a brunt of the damage they would've been dealt. The feel of something heavier than air and warmer than the cool night coming onto her shoulders startled her from her thoughts and she turned to see Tsukuyomaru beside her without his _haori_, her eyes falling to see it draped over her shoulders.

She smiled up at him deciding that nighttime suited him, the light of the stars and moon twinkling in his eyes and shimmering in his hair, as he returned her smile softly. Over the last several weeks, they'd gotten to know each other as she had all of her companions before him and she'd grown closer to him, deciding that she'd outgrown Inu Yasha. She loved him as well, but as a very dear friend, her very best friend even, or as a brother, but she'd been hurt too many times by his inability to choose or even see if she or Kikyo had meant more to him. Then the bat demon beside her had happened along, sarcasm and wit combined with a gentle, protective nature and an insecurity that was downright adorable when it showed. It was easy to see how Shizu could have fallen for him and though Kagome had seen his more feral side, she couldn't help but wonder what wasn't to love when he seemed like every bit of what every woman fantasized about when it came to her perfect man.

"Have you decided what you're going to do?" he asked, glancing down at the jewel in her hand.

"Well, I know what wish to make on the jewel," she replied, "So that it will never fall in the wrong hands or tempts others."

"Not what I meant," he said.

"I know," she sighed, looking up at the night sky, "I think it's time for me to return to my own time, I've done what I came to do. I have my own life to get back to."

"Understandable," he answered.

"What about you?" she wondered.

"Me?"

"Yes, have you decided what you want to do?"

"There's what I want to do and what I should do. They are not the same thing."

"But do you know what you're going to do?"

"Kagome," he said softly and slowly, turning away from her, "I have thought long and hard on that. I know what it is I want and I know what it is I should, but they differ and go off on separate paths. I came in hopes of talking to you about that. Even if we go our separate ways, I will not let us part without making my heart known to you. I will not deny my feelings for you, you've freed me from the cage I've kept myself in all these years. I will stake no claim over you as Koga has, but I will not hide my feelings for you as Inu Yasha. So I am at a loss."

"Then let me help you," she said, placing a hand on his cheek and turning his face to look at her, "You have a mate out there and a daughter. Your family needs you, you should go back to them."

"You do not...?" he began, heart falling as his words faltered.

"I'm not saying that," she assured him with a soft smile, "I can't take something that isn't mine, that isn't me. They had you first and so long as your first mate lives, you should be at her side. I can't ask you to leave them for me and I won't, I have no right to. They need you more."

She reached up to brush the two strands of hair that always hung in his face back only for them to fall back in place before he reached up to pull her hand away, his eyes closing so she didn't see them misting over. Reaching up to a braid hanging from his temple, he used a claw to cut it free and, as an afterthought, untied his hair, placing the severed braid and hair-tie in her hand before closing her fingers over them.

"Remember me," was all he said as he turned from her and opened his wings.

"Wait!" she got out, "What about your coat?"

"It's chilly, keep it," he replied, barely glancing over his shoulder, "I can get a new one."

Opening her hand, she glanced down at the braid, her mind drifting back to a night almost a week ago when they'd all been settled by the campfire, winding down for the night as she'd sat and played with Rin, delighting in giving the little girl some much needed female company.

Like any little girl, Rin had wanted to play with someone's hair and try some of the styles Kagome had told her about, but whose hair to mess with. Shippo's and Miroku's were too short to be of much use, Sango had looked uncertain about it, like anyone was going to so much as touch Sesshomaru's flowing mane and Inu Yasha's was too matted and tangled. As one, Rin's and Kagome's eyes had fallen on Tsukuyomaru's own length of hair kept tied back in its usual tail, his purple eyes blinking at them curiously when he saw them staring at him. Before he'd known it, the two females had had him laying on his stomach with Rin astride his back as she brushed it and played with it with Kagome's help. Not having some reflective surface to see himself in, he had no idea what they'd done to his hair, but he'd taken everything out before pulling his hair back again save for that single braid that for his own reasons he'd left dangling from his temple. Pulling herself back to the present, she looked back up to see that he had left without another word, his silhouette headed back to the village as she stood with her own thoughts for a time. He returned to the village and started packing up his horse and meager belongings when a rustle of branches above him alerted him to Inu Yasha's presence though he did not acknowledge his presence till the half-demon spoke.

"Going somewhere?" he asked, leaping down from the tree.

"I am heading home," Tsukuyomaru replied, "I've a long journey ahead of me and I'd like to get going as soon as possible."

"Awfully late, ain't it?" the _inu hanyou_ questioned.

"Not like you wouldn't have traveled at night yourself," the bat returned, "If it'd been up to you."

"Whatever," he shrugged, "Kagome know you're going?"

"She is aware of my decision, yes."

"Take care o' that girl of yours, she's got a rough road ahead of her. Come back if you feel like. Y'know, when your mate's gone. Not like the village'll want you two hanging around afterward. Trust me."

"You're welcome among us as well," Miroku's voice came from behind him, Sango with him.

"We'll need the help rebuilding," she added, "And your skills would be of great value."

For a few moments, he had no idea what to say to these people, these humans and half-breed, who were welcoming a demon among them. He'd traveled with them for quite some time, but he hadn't been sure if it had been long enough to count them as friends even though there'd been a degree of camaraderie between them all, even Inu Yasha. He wasn't sure if slayer and monk would be around when his mate passed away, but he greatly appreciated the gesture, accepting that to them he was as much a friend as Inu Yasha and Kagome.

"Thank you," he finally said, "I don't know what I can say beyond that. I will bear that in mind when the time comes."

Kagome returned herself shortly after, saddened but not surprised to find he'd left, and reassured her friends that he'd already bade her good-bye, wanting nothing more than to go to bed before returning home the next morning. She assured all of them that, if the well stayed open, she would come and visit them all once in awhile, eager to see Sango's village rebuilt and her family start. Although she wanted a heart to heart with Inu Yasha regarding their feelings toward each other, she knew that wasn't Inu Yasha so she settled with letting him know that they were friends and not to go picking a fight with Tsukuyomaru. The final wish was made, a simple wish that was just for the jewel to no longer exist, and, Midoriko's spirit finally at rest, it was gone and Kagome was through the well to her own time to go back to her life. She had told Inu Yasha and Shippo to make sure they were around in 500 years and to look her up then, given all the history she knew would happen between then and now, she hoped they survived. It would be hard enough to lose Sango and Miroku, she couldn't bear to lose her best friend and the kit she looked at as her own, she only wished she'd told Tsukuyomaru the same so that maybe he wouldn't be lost to her forever. She went back to being a regular high-schooler with nothing more than grades and boys to worry about and her fictional ailments to contend with, though inside she wasn't the same person she had been before this all began. By this time, her friends had heard tell of a new guy she'd been crushing on, possibly even dating, her resistance to Hojo's advance more adamant than ever since Tsukuyomaru had come along. So they'd gossiped about it, wondering where it left Inu Yasha, the infamous jerk boyfriend they'd heard about for more than a year, knowing this new mystery guy only as Tsuku or Tsukuyo depending on what part of his name Kagome dropped.

"Hey, Kagome!" Eri called one day some weeks later as Kagome had come dashing to school, "Where'd you get that coat?"

"This?" she glanced at the deep red _haori_ she vaguely remembered grabbing.

"Is that from your new boyfriend?" Yuka gasped with a smirk and a wink.

"Awfully traditional," Eri remarked.

"Well, his family's kinda old-fashioned," Kagome blushed, "So he usually dresses traditionally."

"So it _is_ a new boyfriend?" Yuka's grin widened, "It's this Tsuku you go on about isn't it?"

"What about Inu Yasha?" Ayumi asked.

"We're not dating," Kagome groaned, "He's a better friend than a date."

The conversation went on from there with Kagome barely listening and after that she wore that _haori_ whenever it was cool out until winter coat-weather came around, finding comfort in it and understanding why classmates went gaga over wearing a boyfriend's lettered jacket.

Life went on after Kagome left, Rin staying and training with Kaede so she'd learn how to be among humans, Sesshomaru stopping by regularly to visit while his relationship with his half-brother remained as tenuous as ever though they weren't fighting nearly as much. Inu Yasha spent his time between Kaede's village and the slayer village where he helped out Sango and Miroku here or there, their kids pulling at his ears. Shippo stayed in Kaede's village with Inu Yasha, though he left now and again to train his own abilities and become a higher-ranked fox demon, maintaining a close friendship with Rin. Kohaku was often off training to become a stronger demon slayer, but, as Rin got older, made a point of stopping by the village to visit with her, occasionally having to fend off either a fox demon that seemed more than a bit jealous or an overprotective _taiyoukai_ who thought the boy was getting too close for comfort. Eventually Kohaku and Rin were married (with Sesshomaru's blessing of course) and had two youngsters of their own, but amidst the peace and happiness in their lives, tragedy struck when Kohaku fell in battle against a demon. Saddened as she was having to mourn her brother a second time, Sango was proud he had at least grown up and died honorably instead of in the hand of treachery, a strong and skilled slayer in his own right and after a happy ten years of marriage. A few years after the death of her husband, Rin returned to the company of a demon, a place she'd once been so happy in, when she joined Shippo who looked physically around the same age Inu Yasha had been when he'd met Kagome and quickly took in her little ones as his own. They remained in Kaede's village, Rin aiding the villagers where she could while Shippo aided Inu Yasha and Miroku in their occasional ventures, hunting and disposing of dangerous demons. In many ways, Rin was like their own little Kagome, a fact which irked Sesshomaru to no end when Inu Yasha felt like mocking his older brother with the similarities between the two.

Unfortunately, as is usually the case, such peace and joy were not known to all and the peaceful times did not extend to everyone. Tsukuyomaru returned to his family, Shizu shocked and overjoyed by his return and too happy to have her love back with her to bear any grudge for being away from them for so long. What mattered to her more was the fact that he had come back to his family and that he'd been safe and alive all those years, so for a brief moment in time he had peace of his own in life as did his mate and child. Admittedly, he had moments when he was strangely distant, when he was silent and gazing off into the distance from the roof of their hut, times when his mind wandered to the girl he'd left behind, but she attributed such times to what his father had done to him. For the most part they were happy, Shizu and Shiori having a fierce guardian to protect them from the harassment and abuse of the villagers for though he didn't hurt anyone, he wouldn't stand for their treatment of his family. But the happiness was not to last, a harsh reality striking them quickly and suddenly when Shizu, heavily pregnant with her mate's second child, fell ill and she'd gone into labor a few weeks too early. Tsukuyomaru left her side, knowing if he didn't get help she would undoubtedly be lost even though he feared losing her in his absence, to find a healer or a midwife or both, but he was forced to venture farther than he'd hoped for those in neighboring villages weren't willing to assist a demon. After a few hours of searching he came upon a priestess skilled and experienced in healing and childbirth willing to help a demon and with little by way of payment. He swiftly brought her back to his ailing mate's side, taking Shiori with him when they were ushered out so the priestess could do her work, Tsukuyomaru staying far enough that Shiroi wouldn't hear anything, but close enough that he would.

The priestess called for him, he scooping Shiori up in his arms and flying with her back to the hut where the woman waited with a solemn look on her face, Tsukuyomaru fearing the worst as the smell of blood and death reached his nose.

"I did all I could, _komori_," she said softly, "But they are both lost."

Complications of the pregnancy brought about by the illness, she went on to explain to him, his expression stoic, but his eyes downcast, as he put on a brave front for the sake of the young child beside him.

"Did I do this?" he whispered, "Because of what I am?"

The priestess shook her head, "This is not because of the half-breed she carried. Such things can happen with any birth. So do not blame yourself, demon."

With that she departed, her duty done and not wishing to tarry in the presence of a demon who had just lost his mate and unborn child by a cruel twist of fate, not needing or wishing payment of any kind for performing her sworn duties. It had only been four years since he'd come back, surely his time with his mate could not have been cut so short, not before he had a chance to make up to her all the time they'd lost. Bidding Shiroi stay outside, he slowly entered the hut, a few stray tears escaping down his cheeks as he took in the still form of his mate, blood from the birthing staining the blankets beneath her though the child remained in her body, mother dying before it could be born. Some hours later, he stood outside the hut beside a funeral pyre he'd prepared as quickly as possible, wishing there were time for a proper ceremony, Shiori at his side crying over the loss of her mother and younger sibling. Tsukuyomaru stood with his hand on her shoulder, his eyes misty though he did not allow a single tear to be shed, his expression void of any emotion, determined to stay strong for the daughter he wished hadn't had to bear witness to this. Together they stood as their beloved mate and mother burned, Tsukuyomaru turning to begin gathering their few belongings as the last embers were dying out before finding an urn to gather his mate's ashes. His horse already laden with all father and daughter had to their name, he stowed the urn in a saddlebag, picking up Shiori and putting her on the stallion's back before grabbing the reins and leading them off.

"Can't we stay for a little longer?" she sniffled.

"No," he replied, "We must leave quickly before the villagers decide to force us out themselves. I prefer not to make myself a nuisance where I am not welcome."

Weighing his options, Tsukuyomaru first headed further inland towards the Eastern lands where he knew the remnants of his mother's clan dwelt on the borders between the Eastern and Western domains. What hopes he had of finding refuge with them and his mother were dashed when his grandfather, a bat demon called Ban, made it clear in no uncertain terms that no blood of Taigokumaru's was welcome among them. He knew his mother, Amaterasu, had lived and escaped her mate's cruelty, he'd seen her leave after she'd bade farewell to her son, leaving him to his father and his duty as the Shield-Guardian. He had hoped to see her and beg for her aid, but she was not present and as patriarch of the clan her father Ban's word was law, it didn't matter to the older demon that the male before him was blood and his daughter's son, all that mattered was he was Taigokumaru's boy. It made no sense to Tsukuyomaru, he could see the resemblance to himself in the face of this older, more human-looking _komori_, that all Ban could see was Taigokumaru's flesh and blood. He begged, pleaded, for himself and his daughter, argued and was even prepared to fight, a snarl ripping from his throat as a red light came to his eyes, his unexpressed grief pushing him to irrational things. A swift swipe of the claws, raking across his cheek, and a hand to his throat as Ban responded to his threat deterred any further action and Tsukuyomaru took his leave.

"Please," he asked, turning back momentarily, "Tell my mother I came."

"You're dead far as she knows," Ban growled, "You best be staying that way, pup."

"Why not wait for her, Daddy?" Shiroi asked as they walked away.

"There is no telling when she will return," he replied, "It is best not to try his patience with us. He would likely chase us off."

For days they traveled, now heading through the Western territories as he led them toward Kaede's village, the land bearing little food with spring only just beginning and not much to hunt to keep themselves fed.

They made camp nightly, Tsukuyomaru barely sleeping at all and rarely hunting for himself, preferring to keep watch over Shiori and unwilling to leave her alone unprotected for the time it would take for him to hunt and feed. They had little in the way of money, so they couldn't even afford to buy much food, certainly not enough to keep themselves fed, so the pair was much the worse for wear and had clearly seen better days when they reached Kaede's village.

"Inu Yasha!" Shiroi exclaimed, catching sight of the older half-demon.

"Shiori," he stated, shock written on his face as he looked at the two, "Hey, bat. I see you're back."

"Hey, dog," Tsukuyomaru returned, "I see you're... screw it, I got nothing," Inu Yasha smirked, "Don't look so proud of yourself for outwitting a half-starved, sleep-deprived bat. If you think that's something to be proud of... no, I take that back. I'd tell you to think, but you might hurt yourself. Oh! Look I did have something."

"Bite me," the _inu hanyou_ snapped.

"Bad choice of words, half-breed," Tsukuyomaru smirked, "You see, I don't remember the last time I fed, so I might just be hungry enough to take you up on that offer."

"Whatever," he muttered.

"Lord Tsukuyomaru," Kaede gasped emerging from her hut, "What happened to ye?"

"I'll say," Inu Yasha muttered, "You look like crap."

Purple, weary eyes just narrowed at him in annoyance, Shiori holding tight to his leg unsure of what to do in this strange village he'd brought her to surrounded by pure-blooded humans.

"My mate..." he began, turning his attention to the old priestess and the little girl now behind her, "Passed away. We had to leave."

"Ye look as though ye have not eaten or slept in days," she said.

"It being early spring there is little to eat," he replied, "Game is scarce this early in the season and there's not much to forage."

"Surely ye have come across other villages," she offered.

"I preferred to keep my distance from them," he countered, "Being a demon with a half-breed child at my side, I can hide myself, Shiori isn't quite so easy. Besides we have almost nothing in the way of coin."

"Shiori?" Kaede questioned, looking down at the girl holding tightly to his hand and pressed firmly against his leg, "Be that the child's name?"

"Yes," he answered, looking down at her with a tired smile, "It's all right, Shiori, they're used to demons here. This is Inu Yasha's village."

"Aye, child," the old priestess assured, "They be quite used to his presence, they'll not harm ye," she looked behind her at the child now at her side, "This be Rin, she traveled with Lord Sesshomaru. Rin, perhaps ye should show Shiori around."

"Yes, Lady Kaede!" Rin agreed excitedly, smiling at Shiori.

"So she stays here now?" Tsukuyomaru asked as Rin pulled Shiori away behind her.

"Aye," Kaede nodded, "Lord Sesshomaru wanted her to live among her own kind so she might make her own choice as to where she wants to be. He comes to visit now and again."

The two girls became fast friends and before long Shiori had joined Rin in her lessons with Lady Kaede, giving her a place to stay and someone to watch over her while her father hunted and eventually took to traveling with Inu Yasha and Miroku on their treks to dispose of problem demons. So he and Shiori made their home in Edo and occasionally the slayer village where they were welcomes among Miroku and Sango and life carried on, though Tsukuyomaru was never quite the same.

_Author's Note: I know I skipped over a lot of things. I'm not very good at writing out fight scenes and I want to try and remain true to canon in terms of Naraku's demise, but haven't had the chance to watch The Final Act. I wanted this to be a relatively quick chapter, basically just summarizing how things went after Kagome left. Next chapter will be 500 years later, but I'm not entirely sure of certain things yet, like what Tsukuyomaru's going to be doing with himself in the 20__th__-21__st__ centuries, so any and all suggestions are welcome! So share your thoughts/ideas with me or I may just decide to make him a stripper X3_


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